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Show Thursday, June 22, 2006 The Gunnison Valley Gazette Page 4 School memories By HAL EDWARDS Courtesy of Richfield Reaper- There are few things which equal the exhilaration, disappointment, confusion or realization of time as does a school class reunion. And at my high school alma mater, Gunnison Valley High School, it is all of the above and more. Actually the reunions are great. Our school doesn't just have a class reunion every five or ten years, but an entire alumni reunion every year and, thanks to a hard working Phyllis Greener, has done so for the past 17 years. If there are other schools in the state that have an entire alumni reunion for everyone who ever attended, I am not aware of it. There are a lot of interesting things which these get-togethers produce. First off, most of those who attended and/or graduated from the school who live in the immediate area don't attend, while others come hundreds of miles to be there. This phenomenon isn't unique to GVHS. It seems to be the norm for most areas. And to me, it is troubling. One of the best parts of an annual reunion is that people don't seem to get any older all at once. Those we see and visit with every year change very little in a year's time. The guy with no hair didn't show up that way all of a sudden; they looked that way last year, too. Most of the women change very little, and we make sure we tell them. But even more troubling to me is that I don't know most of those at the reunion. Why? Because they range over a period of several decades. Those who were in my class in school and a few others that I know are three or four years older or the same number of years younger. But those beyond in either direction arc people I don't know and never did, only by name and maybe a few encounters of one kind or another. So what do we talk about with those classmates we sec every year? Mostly about those we don't, see and wonder where they are and why they didn't come to the reunion. Granted, it, is held on Memorial Day weekend to coincide with the end of school at GVHS the day before. But as the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Our class was in school during the last part of the Depression of the 1930's and all of World War II. We were the first to graduate after the war in 1946 and many of those who were in our class who were old enough, joined the sendee prior to graduation. I loved school. Not for the academics as much as for the friendship, pranks and, not realizing it at the time, memories being created - memories which we also relive as we visit. Many in our class 1 went to school with from kindergarten through graduation. Others I didn't know until eighth grade when we went to junior high and combined students from the other valley elementary schools. And since we went to school for nine months a year, I calculated how many actual hours we spent with each other from kindergarLiving the Outdoor ten through graduation. Lifestyle Based on six hours a day, five days a week for 180 days and 12 years (not counting kindergarten), it comes to a total of 11,680 hours. That's a long time to be with the same group of kids, and we got to know each other pretty well. Some I see often. Others once in a while. Some I By CRAIG PAYNE haven't seen since graduation or even before as some didn't, finish school. A while back I wrote about Some of us have regrets Shawn Munk and the love he has for our actions during school. for his prized hound dogs. Shawn I know I drove a couple of has always been willing to share teachers wacky and I wasn't his knowledge of hounds, hound as kind to some of my classhunting and the great outdoors mates as I should have been. with anyone wanting to learn the Some have forgiven me, othcraft. ers haven't, and I have it Last fall I was fortunate coming if they didn't. enough to share a bear camp But regardless of all with Shawn, his hounds and a the side issues, getting tovarying group of hound dog engether often is really great. thusiasts. We had a great time. I learned about that from Hunted hard, ate like kings and Janet who has kept in touch oh yea, we caught a couple bear with nearly all of her classas well. mates and takes her yearIt has been my experience books off the shelf often and that bear hunting is never easy. can go into great detail about The method you choose seems her school days. I have gotto matter very little in terms of ten so I almost know them success. Whether you prefer to as well as she, even though hunt with hound dogs, spot and many I haven't met. stalk, calling, or hunting over bait. From kindergarten days I believe the determining factor through graduation, 13 of between successful bear hunters those with whom we associand those that go home disapated have passed on, about a pointed is dedication to the task at third of our class. It is a bit hand. Half hearted efforts rarely scary, but we are still glad yield much in the way of bear skin there are enough left to talk rugs. This is where Shawn really about the "good old days" excels. Hard work and dedicaand generally, remember the tion are attributes that emanate good times, and that we can from Shawn. People seem to be at least be able to remember something about them, even though sometimes it gets to Sponsored by be a bit fuzzy. But we can add a few thing to make up the difference. That makes the past even more fun than it really was. / Summertime V Z5 Gallon Asst Mount Olympus Western Family Gallon Asst. Water Ice Cream 100 ct. Asst. 2 Liter Bottles Asst 2 Liter Asst. Shasta Pop Otter Pops Coke Products 2forV Lay's 11-11.5 oz. Asst. Potato Chips Shawn Munk's Bear Hunt $3.99 .79o W oz. Margarine or 4 oz. Whips! Light Spread 6 oz. Light or Light Thick 6 Creamy Asst. Yoplait Yogurt .59c MEAT FOR GRILLING Boneless Beef New York Steaks - $5.99 Ib. Boneless Beef Petite Sirloin Steaks - $2.99 Ib. Fresh Beef Back Ribs - $1.49 Ib. $5% Extra Lean Ground Beef - $1.99 Ib. FARM FRESH PRODUCE; / Ib. pkg. Juicy Sweet Strawberries - 2 for $3 Large Peaches or Nectarines - .99c Ib. Fresh Ripe Roma Tomatoes - .89c Ib. Whole Fresh Honeydew Melons - .49c Ib. Courtesy Photo Shawn and the w a t u i . ' / ' ' f a drawn to Shawn, with his quid. smile and positive attitude. This spring Shawn and a group of bear hunting aficionados took to the hills with the sole purpose of harvesting an adult male bear. Shawn knew a guy, who knew a guy, who had drawn a bear tag in an area close to his home. Needing no more prompting than that, a date was set and plans were made. Even though I was not along on the hunt, Shawn's descriptive details had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. As it turns out, Shawn located a pretty good bear track along the edge of a water hole early enough in the day to warrant releasing the hounds. As the chase ensued it became evident that all of the hounds were working extremely well together. Smoke, Dan, Stony, Sally, Bullet and Zoy seemed as if to be on a mission. A mission that included putting the water hole bear up a tree. According to Shawn's accounts, the actual chase was relatively short. All the hounds, both young and old made the trip, thus helping the young dogs alongtheir path of progression. The entire hunt, from beginning to end, went as planned and Shawn's friends, friend harvested a beautiful chocolate colored boar bear. I can't think of a better ending than friends helping friends. 192 East 100 North Fayette 528-7999 www.christensenarms.com e-mail: sales@christensenarms.com Blown Away! Damage reports from last week's wind storm are still coming in. Irma Sorensen lost two sheds during the storm. The sheds have stood for many years and have weathered many other storms. Irma also lost an apricot tree and had fence damage. Irma's son, Kevin, will rebuild one of the sheds. The other is a total loss. Senior Lunch Menu ThurJune22 Hamburger Patty w/Onion Mashed Potatoes Gravy Three Bean Salad Fresh Fruit Bread & Butter Fri June 23 BBQ Pork Baked Potato Sour Cream Broccoli w/Cheese Sauce Peaches Roll & Butter Tue June 27 Baked Ham Cheesy Potatoes Green Beans Cookie Bread & Butter Wed June 28 Baked Spaghetti Vegetable Tossed Salad Garlic Bread Apple Pie Wednesday, June 28 - Monthly Hearing Screening at the Senior Center from 10 until 11:45 am. Lunch will follow at noon, HEAP •f the WEEK BAKERY & DELI This week's Heap of the Week goes to Alex Jensen. Alex drives a "Re-charged Charger." It has a 1973 original, 383 engine and gets a great 12 miles to the gallon. The Jensen kids all call it the Boat"! Wet. 15oz. pkg. Snickerdoodle Lofthouse Cookies - $299 24 oz. Loaf White or Wheat Hearthstone Bread - $1.99 BirchBerry Deli Fresh Pepper Jack Cheese - $3.99 Ib. BlrohBerry Honey, Black Forest or Old Fashioned Ham Sale - $3.99 Ib. Prices EiTeclive thru June 27, 2006 Hill's Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. HilL 528-3988 150 East 100 North - Gunnison 24-H-our Service pyant Hf stog ft Cooflfl |
