Class of 66 Reunion and Digital Communications Make 'Blue and Gold' Alumni Newsletter

The Class reunion in June and the subsequent efforts on Facebook, Blogger and email newsletters rated separate articles and photos in the Fall 2016 Central Alumni newsletter, the Blue and Gold. The paper arrived in alumni mailboxes this week.

The reunion story included a photographer of the classmates who were still at the Ramkota on Sunday, the last day of the reunion, along with a photo of the Three Amigos.

The separate article about the class digital efforts was on a page with the alumni news. It included a photo of the September newsletter and an article written by Tim Schreiner, the class journalist. See the text of that article below.

If you'd like to subscribe to the Blue and Gold, contact the Aberdeen Public Schools Foundation at 605-725-7118 or email Gretchen.Sharp@k12.sd.us.


Here's the article on the class digital work:

When the Class of 1966 was trying to drum up enthusiasm for its 50-year reunion in Aberdeen this summer, it decided that social media and the Internet offered some help. The effort resulted not only in a reunion attended by more than 150 people, it started a lasting way to communicate that will live far beyond the class reunion.

Its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CHS1966reunion) has 234 followers who regular read news of classmates as well as reminiscences of businesses and buildings in Aberdeen and memories of musical bands, former teachers and events in the lives of the class.

Its weblog (aberdeenchsclassof1966reunion.blogspot.com), an online journal of stories written by the class members has already been viewed more than 27,000 times since it was launched in mid-2016.

The weblog is an ongoing archive of old and new photos of the class, personal stories featuring businesses such as Liem’s Sporting Goods and Webb Shoe Store, class members encounters with famous musicians such as Bobby Vee and Bob Dylan, and remembrances of classmates who have died recently.

Each month, an email newsletter is sent to the class alerting them to stories they might have missed. The newsletter, weblog and Facebook page have not only attracted members of the class of 1966, but also their children and others who attended Central during the 1960s.

The class also established a YouTube channel (CHS Class of 1966 Reunion), which has posted videos memorializing deceased classmates as well as honoring those who served in the armed forces. It also features creative videos that poke a little fun at the people behind the digital effort: Terry Rawstern, Robert Couser, Carole Tonigan, Rory King and Tim Schreiner.

How To Talk Like a South Dakotian By Alice Laird Rapport

The next time you head across the crick to yer old stompin' grounds, lookin' for a hot dish and some pop fer supper, stop spittin' seeds, go to the biffy, warsh yer hands, say yer grace, fill yer white plate with white bread (slathered with salad dressing, never mayo), white potatoes, white cauliflower, and a white chicken breast — and don't call it dinner if yer at the neighbors who live kitty corner cuz they're feathers are pertnear ruffled already. 

If you go hog wild and bust up the place, leave a hunnert on the couch on yer way back to yer neck o' the woods. Ya sher, you betcha, that's the god's honest truth.

By Alice Laird Rapport

Not long after I started working in Washington, D.C., I announced to my coworkers that I was going to the snack bar for a "pop." 

Well, that got me several questioning looks. So, that was the start of my learning to speak in East coast terms, albeit begrudgingly. I found that sometimes it's the words themselves and sometimes it's the pronunciation. And, sometimes it's a phrase or expression.

Carole Tonigan and I have been having fun compiling the following examples of some of the very local-Aberdeen words and expressions that we all grew up saying.

Please add to our list in the comments section and please keep talking the South Dakota way, wherever you may be.

Our Words

Pop, not soda

Filling station, not gas station

Hot dish, not casserole

Kitty corner, not catty corner

Supper, not dinner? When is supper, anyway?

You betcha, just because we say it — and sometimes after, Yah, shur.
Okey-dokey, not just okay

Drouth, not drought

Pertnear, not pretty near

Couch, not sofa

Biffy (where did this come from?), rather than restroom

Yeah and/or ya--another just because we say it

Our Pronunciations

Creek, pronounced "crick"

Roof and root, we say them with a "short u," not a "long u"

For, sounds like fer, as in, We bought that bike fer about a hunnert bucks.
Hundred, pronounced hunnert

Wash, usually has an "r", as in warsh

Coyote, any USD person knows the e on the end is silent

Our Expressions
My old stomping grounds

Our neck of the woods

In a jiffy

If I had my druthers

Slow as molasses in January

Knee high to a grasshopper

Ruffle your feathers

Come with

Hog wild

Spittin' seeds, as in sunflower seeds

Our Class of '66 Blog Reached 25,000 Views: You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

 Your stories about life at Central in 1963-1966 and what's happened to you since then has been a smashing success.  We have reached 25,000 viewings of our blog.

In celebration of the milestone, we've put together a video making a little fun of some of the people behind the scenes at the blog.  You have never seen these candid shots of what fun our blog masters have in keeping on at the Central Class of 1966 Blog.

You must watch this video to the end, because like dessert at a dinner party, the really good stuff comes at the end.  

See Carole Tonigan dance on the bar. Watch Rory King shake his marimbas. And marvel at Terry Rawstern, Bob Couser and Tim Schreiner doing the shimmy-shimmy-shake.  

The candid shots of the blog masters at work (and play) might just get us another 25,000 views by itself.

Let’s celebrate with a shot of tequila (or a milk of magnesia, if you prefer).

To All Our CHS Class of '66 “Golden” Anniversary Celebrants

Rick Albrecht 1966

Rochelle Brack Albrecht 1966

By Rick Albrecht and Rochelle (Brack) Albrecht

When Carole Tonigan called to see if we would be interested in writing a short note about our time at the reunion, we said yes. Trust us when we say, when Carole calls, you just have to say yes. 

Plus, she’s practically our neighbor, her living in Tucson and us in Albuquerque. We couldn’t let her down. And thanks to Terry Rawstern, who will be the guy to get this to you. 

Our computer is so old, the internet is rejecting most of our attempted visit locations now because Microsoft no longer supports it. We think Moby Dick was a minnow when we bought our computer. 

Neither of us have been around our classmates much since leaving Aberdeen, and we’ve only attended two reunions. 

Like many of you, life happens and we just didn't have the opportunity or we had to work to pay the bills. However, both times we were able to go — our 35^th in Scottsdale and this year at our 50^th in Aberdeen—  we did have fun seeing everyone who did attend.

Rochelle with Rick in Navy Uniform

One of the neatest parts about our 50^th was seeing how good everyone looked (for 50 additional years tacked on) and how many have stayed in Aberdeen and helped it grow as a community. We especially liked our visit to old Central and rekindling friendships, which we hope will stay with us. 

We both really appreciated how the reunion committee remembered all our classmates no longer with us; additionally the honoring of all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Rick was one of those depicted. 

Overall, the Navy was a great career and as a side note here, it reminded us many times how small our world really is. In 1980 while serving in Great Britain, and on an official visit to Navy Headquarters London, Rick ran into Karla Sukut. When the elevator door opened up, there was Karla. She worked there too. 

What a small world!  It took until our 50^th to cross paths again.  She got “Lucky” since then. Her husband, Richard "Lucky" Cook, also happens to be an Army Veteran with lots of experiences similar to most who served during the Vietnam years. There was also talk of Karla and Lucky possibly moving to Tucson, so the neighborhood may be growing, Carole.
 
Seeing Ferrell Greene and meeting his bride, Linda, was a real special highlight for us. Ferrell if you recall, was part of our trio during the 1966 Eaglean Follies. We really enjoyed singing all the folk songs popular in our day. 

Rochelle, Rick and Ferrell Greene 1966

It is sad how we can lose contact with friends over the years, but reunions like this can bridge the gap. Hopefully we will have more of these opportunities to reconnect in the future. We're not getting any younger. Great memories!

Another fantastic time was seeing our dear friends and classmate Kathleen (Krueger) and her husband, Terry Brooks, again. They travel from Chamberlain, SD, to Phoenix, AZ, area most winters, and we see them when they pass through Albuquerque. Our Southwestern neighborhood grows larger in the winter.

We appreciated the opportunity to spend time with them and together we visited the Vietnam Memorial at Anderson Park. Terry is also a Vietnam Vet. If you have not had the chance to see this superbly designed memorial, please do so at your first opportunity. It meant a lot to Rick because of Vern Fried who is noted on this memorial. He was one of Rick’s closer neighborhood friends and the brother of our now deceased classmate Dennis Fried. 

Rick at 50th CHS Reunion

Rochelle at 50th CHS Reunion

Amazingly we were only going to write a couple of paragraphs, so we’ll close by saying we’re sorry for not being able to mention every visit. We do have a wonderful new set of memories and hope that if you are reading this and did not make our 50^th, you will take an opportunity to attend a future class reunion.  It is well worth it. 

A special THANKS to all those who made this golden class reunion happen!

Since many CHS students have gone to some of the same Aberdeen schools growing up, we’ve attached some of Rick’s found class photos.  Known names were added and we hope you can fill in the blanks. 

If you’re ever planning on passing through Albuquerque, send us a note at ralbrecht6480@comcast.net and let’s try to get together. 

Take care until we meet again! 

Hello, Central High School Classmates by Mike Baldridge

It is Sunday morning and I am sitting here watching “Sunday Morning” on CBS. There was a story about the “Clock Tower” shooting in Austin, TX, which took place fifty years ago; we were seniors in high school. I do remember that event, but had let it slip to the back of my mind.

This brought me back to other personal memories that will last forever; moving off the farm near Northville, SD, to the big city of Aberdeen (1957); getting to know my new neighbors, Carole Tonigan, Daralin Nelson, David Moen, Gary Carlson; beginning Sophomore year at Central and seeing Jan Gesinger in chorus class; hanging out at the Melgaard Park concession stand while Jan worked there for the owners (Terry Gesinger and Tom Daschle); later that summer, my first kiss with Jan; working at the Orpheum Theater; joining the US Navy; Wedding day in Pensacola, FL, with my lifelong sweetheart; going to Viet Nam, and coming home; the birth of our two sons, Chad and Todd; and many more.

Mike Baldridge: U.S.Navy in Vietnam

 
In 1974, I was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration, as an Air Traffic Controller. I was trained as a controller in the Navy and this led me in that direction. It was a terrific career, with many more personal memories. This flashback series of memories, spurred on by the “Clock Tower” story, brought me back to a historical event that many of you know about, but probably don’t think about. 

This past Wednesday, August 3rd, was the 35th anniversary of the Air Traffic Controller strike. A short time after that day in 1981, President Reagan fired 11,000 + controllers, and busted the Union known as the Professional Air Traffic Controller Organization (PATCO). This was a major event in US labor management history.

At the time, I was the Manager at Foss Field Air Traffic Control Tower, in Sioux Falls, SD. As a manager, I did not have to make a choice as to whether to strike, or not. I still do not know what choice I would have made, had I been a controller. We as managers across the nation, rose to the situation and developed a very strong camaraderie. We resolved to make it all work, even though the vast majority of our workforce was gone. With the full support of the aviation industry, and our dedicated managers/supervisor’s/staff, the air traffic system was restored. It took a number of years to build back to a normal workforce of 14,000 + controllers, but the system never faltered. 

At Foss Field we had 14 controllers, two supervisors and myself. All 14 controllers went on strike. I choose to believe that that was not a result of my management style, it was just the emotional challenge that the controllers were going through with their Union. The two supervisors, Ed Formiller and Dick Neish, and I, were able to keep the control tower open and conducted air traffic operations for a month until others arrived to help us out.

Mike Baldridge 1966

When the Federal Government advertised to hire controllers, over 250,000 people applied for the more than eleven thousand controller positions. The interesting part of this long term hiring process was the dynamic change that took place in our workforce. Prior to the strike, our workforce was predominately male and former military. After the strike, the workforce became a mix of male and female, college educated, and some former military. This dynamic change created a challenge for our managers and supervisors; change from a military management style to a more human relations oriented style. Yes, this was an interesting time in US history, and in my personal career. 

Jan Gesinger 1966

Twenty years later “9/11” happened. I was the manager of all NM and West TX Control Towers and Radar Approach Control facilities. On that day I witnessed all airborne traffic, evacuate the sky and land at the nearest major airport. Thousands of aircraft were controlled to their landings, within 75 minutes of the order to proceed to the nearest major airport. This orderly transition was another first in US history, and another significant memory of my career.

Jan and Mike: 45th CHS Reunion

Throughout my 33 years in the air traffic control industry, Jan and I moved to many different locations. Jan was an X-ray Technologist and was able to continue her career wherever we lived. We retired to Surprise, AZ in 2003, and enjoy our life in the active adult community of Sun City Grand. I started a new career as a REALTOR, in 2004, and am creating a whole new set of memories. Those stories will be for another blog after I have retired again.

A special thank you Carole for introducing me to Richmond Lake by Rory King

Carole, You and John Hendrickson were the ones who introduced me to Richmond Lake. Unbelievably, I had never been out there. I have such warm memories of the lake that summer of my senior year. I remember

Richmond Lake

that your Dad had one of the first pontoon boats on the lake (now they are more popular than speedboats), a home-made model built by his good friend Lloyd Fluke, with old oil barrels welded together. I remember John Hendrickson and John Ridgeway trying to teach me how to water-ski. I remember when we swam at your cabin, Bud would have all of us line up and pick up sharp rocks from the swimming area, as our little contribution to upkeep. I remember having lunch with you and your folks in the bright lakeside front room of the cabin--Ruth decorating the table with just the right touch of colorful wildflowers. They made me feel so welcome and grown up. I remember picking you up in the old rusty pickup to go to the American Legion races (we got my Dad to put our money on the horses). Your folks truly did share their cabin, and I would guess that it was the source of warm memories for many of your friends. The beautiful trees that we enjoy on the way to the dam and the spillway were planted by Bud--maybe with the help of you and Butch?

When I was at USD, my Dad bought a cabin on Richmond, and after Susie and I got married in 1975, we bought it from him, winterized it, and lived there for the first three years of our marriage (we had one floor furnace and a fireplace to heat the place). We

Richmond Lake Sunset

then kept it for our family, and my kids grew up on the lake. It was a rite of Spring for my sons, Alex and Patrick, to camouflage themselves, and sneak into the girl scout camp to ring the bell. My good friend, and our classmate, Jerry McNeary bought a place right next to ours, and our children grew up virtually as brothers and sisters. After Jerry died (he had a heart attack at the lake, and he died as I drove him into town), his wife, Cathy sold the house in town and moved to the Lake. Now our daughter, Caroline, and her husband and four children bought and remodeled an old cabin one lot from ours, and the two cabins combined are a treat for all six of our kids and our 13 grand kids, who are at the lake many weekends. I putz around in the garden, read, and just slow down--taking in the beauty of God's creation around me.

So, Carole, thank you for introducing me to Richmond Lake. It's been at the center of our lives, and probably will be of our children.