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Woodrow Wilson High School Alumni Update - July 2010
http://www.wilsonalumni.com

Don't miss your upcoming reunion and special in-between-year get togethers- make sure to check the reunion section below.

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN WILSON STUDENT DIRECTORY
Wilson Alumni: Advertise your business to the Wilson Community and support school-wide programs! This year's Student Directory will include the Wilson Community Parent Network, featuring businesses owned by or affiliated with Wilson families and alumni. For $25, list your business in the Business Directory; business-card sized ads are $65. Contact Valeurie Friedman (valeurie@comcast.net; 503-246-0622) to place your ad or for more information.

 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

RICH DODGE RETIRES
Rich Dodge '73
retired last month after 32 years of teaching and 23 years of coaching in the Portland Interscholastic League. According to the Portland Tribune, Dodge (55) is retiring in no small part to spend more time with a family that includes his wife, Diane, and their 10 children. The former Wilson High football/baseball star – inducted into the PIL Hall of Fame in 2005, and both tailback and shortstop/outfielder at Oregon State – began his teaching and coaching career at Jackson High School.  To read more about Rich, click here: http://www.wilsonalumni.com/alumni-spotlight/Rich_Dodge.pdf.

2005 GRAD RANKED 14TH IN NATION FOR DISCUS
Derek Furgason '05
represented Concordia University in the NAIA National Track meet on May 28, 2010 in Marion, IN. He is currently ranked 14th in the nation for discus. Derek is still the discus record holder at Wilson. In 2005, he threw the discus 160'2" for a new personal record and Wilson record. After graduating from Wilson, Derek began his studies at Concordia University where he continued his successful career with track. He took 2nd place in the discus at the Cascade Collegiate Conference at Mt. Hood CC in 2009 and placed 3rd in the discus and 2nd in the shot put at the Cascade Collegiate Conference in 2010. He qualified for nationals with a mark of 158" 2' in the discus at a meet at Lewis & Clark College. Derek entered the national meet ranked 17th and ended the meet ranked 14th. Upon graduation from Concordia, Derek plans to move on to a sports-related field working with athletes.

Derek said he has always remembered Wilson teachers Mr. Olsen and especially Mr. Gerber for track. Fellow Wilson graduate Jayson Schmidt '03 was also an important influence on Derek. He competed against Jayson his first year in track and then later had, "the privilege of being coached by him my senior year."

Words of wisdom for current Wilson students, Derek says, "just always set goals for yourself, whether it be in the classroom or for your sport, and then just continue to put in the time and work in order to achieve those goals and constantly continue to challenge yourself by raising those goals." Congratulations to Derek on his successes on and off the track and to Derek's parents, Sylvia Ayala and Gary Furgason, for raising such a talented son!

 

SHARE YOUR STORY
Send us the details on where/what you have been doing since graduating from Wilson, and we'll post in an upcoming WWHS Alumni Update e-newsletter.  Send details to Linda Doyle.

 

ALUMNI RECALL WILSON'S PAST

WILSON MOM REFLECTS ON HILLSDALE'S PAST
Frances Cook (mother of deceased classmate Donald Cook '67) has lived in Hillsdale for 63 years. She remembers her home being surrounded by orchards and dairy land, taking the Raz bus to downtown, and when Robert Gray Elementary School and Wilson both opened.  Do you remember the motel at the corner of Sunset that offered little cabins for motorists driving along Capitol Hwy? Click here to read more about her memories of Hillsdale before and after Wilson opened in 1956: http://www.wilsonalumni.com/newsletter/2010/Frances_Cook/pdf

GREAT SCHOOL SPIRIT ... BAND MEMORIES
  by Patti (Ransom) Waitman-Ingebretsen, WWHS 1961
I love the band stories from Mr. White's era. We did have a great band and fun experiences. Majorettes were required to take band as an elective like all the other band members. Senior band was first period and the call came from the office indicating that Mr. White was not well and would not be coming to class. The instructions were clear, Patti, take roll, do the paperwork and have the drum major run practice. We managed very well and worked without our teacher and administration had no doubt that we were capable of self management. This would not happen today.

We had great school spirit and we practiced on the streets and also on the field. The band would march down the football field and then turn inside out for the return march across the same field. Majorettes/baton twirlers were fair game as we were the first ones through. We ran the gauntlet to immerge once again in the front of the band. I also recall that the trombones marched in the front row in those days. More than one trombone player was known to sneak up and then open the spigot of the trombone and let it drain down the poor majorette's back!

I have so many memories of marching band. It was a wonderful time. I remember that each band would be announced in Civic Stadium and we would enter from the north or the south ends with our Rose Festival Princess right behind. We wanted to be the Queen's band in the Grand Floral Parade because of school pride but also because we could be moved up in the line up! It happened in 1962, one year after I graduated as Wilson's Princess became Queen Cherie.

For the most part, I have continue to lived in the SW Portland area, so had the distinct pleasure of running into Mr. White at Fred Meyer's or running into him at a function. . He was always so happy to visit and glad that I remembered him and our time at WWHS. He was such a softy and although he tried to be gruff, it didn't always work It was a great time and being in the band was a really great experience.

When the "One More Time Around Again Marching Band" (http://www.omtaamb.org/) was formed over 25 years ago, I was one of the first to sign up. I am a charter member and OMT's first majorette/baton twirler. "Get a Life Marching Band" (http://www.getalifemb.org/) is now over 15 years old and between the two bands, we do have a great time. We have traveled to places like San Antonio, Disneyland, Disney world, Tampa, San Francisco, Seattle and even Washington, DC for the Presidential Inauguration. We have marched in small town parades all over Oregon and Washington as well. We are all high school, military and college musicians and have marching band in our blood. We are having the time of our lives and it shows! Thanks to instructors like Mr. Robert White, we can continue our love of parades and performances. Some of us have never quite grown up!

1963 GRAD REFLECTS ON THREE WILSON TEACHERS
  by Blayne (Buz) Christian '63
  Band and Fr. Football (along with every body else)
Just read the latest newsletter and saw the notice of Mr. George Perry's passing, Shop teacher). He was a very friendly and helpful man, both with shop and a few other situations that come up for a teenager in those times. I still have the ashtray/spindle, wood bowl and the "ornate" closet/coat hanger he helped me make. The metal box, (one way fit, only B-) has gone away. My best to his family. Sad to hear of his passing.

We had a good time in Stan Stanton's Social Studies class... we were having a "debate" concerning Mao and how to pronounce his last name, also about the Chinese in the UN ... Seems the "debate" portion had ended and I was still demanding answers from him ... Ended up in the last row. Understand he was also principal, I believe.

And of course Mr. Johnson's geometry class where Sue Kindberg and I met in 1960, married 48 years later.

 

 

MESSAGES FROM CLASSMATES

1965 RETIRED GRAD CHECKS IN
I still carry fond memories of my life and times at Wilson High School.  Hello to all my friends!   Diana Zvokel (Stade) '65

RECONNECTING WITH CLASSMATES AT UPCOMING REUNION
I'm happily retired and looking forward to seeing everyone. Crystal Huffman (Mooney) '60

GOOD TIME HAD BY ALL AT 1965 CLASS REUNION
We all had a good time at the '65 Reunion on 6/18/2010 held at the Embassy Suites at Washington Square. Everyone was able to "catch up" on life 45 years after Graduation from Wilson. With every Reunion we learn a little more about each other.  Scott Brown even serenaded us with his voice and guitar.  I don't know about everyone else but I am looking forward to the 50 year Reunion in 2015...Yikes!!!  Great to see everyone....  Harry Harper '65

COACH GRAY'S TEAM
I participated on the WWHS 50th anniversary committee and Alumni organization initial discussions. I'm still on the job every day as a Business Manager but call on Me if I may be of help. Dave "Frosty" Frezza, '60

 

IN MEMORY OF

CLASSMATES/TEACHERS NO LONGER WITH US
Please send an email with details to Linda Doyle if you have an obituary that should be posted here.  Below is a list of classmates who have passed away.  Here are the names for those who have just been added to the list:

DENNIS O'DELL 1966

LEONARD RINEARSON, JR (WILSON VP)


Read more about classmates, teachers, community members who have passed away...

 

REUNIONS

CLASS OF 2000 TO HOLD 10-YEAR REUNION ... AUGUST 21, 2010

CLASS OF 1990 TO HOLD 20-YEAR REUNION ... AUGUST 13-14, 2010

CLASS OF 1980 TO HOLD 30-YEAR REUNION ... JULY 30, 2010

CLASS OF 1970 TO HOLD 40-YEAR REUNION ... AUGUST 27, 2010

CLASS OF 1964 TO HOLD GET TOGETHER ... AUGUST 7, 2010

CLASS OF 1962 TO HOLD SPECIAL GET TOGETHER ... AUGUST 22, 2010
Join classmates and catch the Glee spirit at a no-host meet and greet happy hour on Sunday, August 22nd from 5-7 at McMenamin's Hillsdale Brewery & Public House in Hillsdale (1505 S.W. Sunset Blvd. 503-246-3938). Special guests: Joan Walton Evans and Ron Evans who will be visiting from Pasadena. Spouses/dates welcome. Questions? Contact Meg Copernoll at gemco2@aol.com.

CLASS OF 1960 ... TO HOLD 50-YEAR REUNION ... SEPTEMBER 10-11-12, 2010

CLASS OF 1957 HOLDS PICNIC ... AUGUST 14, 2010

 

CLASS OF 1961 ... TO HOLD 50TH REUNION ... SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Click here for all the reunions and the latest details.

 

CURRENT STUDENTS

HELP US HELP OUR STUDENTS ... EVERY DOLLAR IS APPRECIATED!
We hope our alumni will consider donating to the Wilson Foundation. Your donation will help us enhance the educational experience for students at Wilson, both now and into the future.   Every dollar puts us one more step closer.   One-time donation ... Monthly Giving ... Workplace Giving/Corporate Matching Gifts.  We appreciate all of our alumni involvement at Wilson! Thanks to those that reach out and support Wilson in any way that you can!  To donate go to: http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/672.htm.

LOOKING FOR OLD DRAMA POSTERS
Wilson High School is looking for Performing Arts Posters from years past.  Currently, we have a wall of ASB Presidents and Rose Princesses in the foyer.  Wilson plans to move these photos out of the foyer and to their new spot in the main hall.  We will then put up old and current performing arts posters in the foyer.  If you know someone who has a poster from a prior Wilson Production 1956-2006, we would like a copy.  Please contact Erica Meyers at: emeyers@pps.k12.or.us or call 503-916-6142.

WILSON STRINGS PROGRAM GIVES STUDENTS A CHANCE TO MAKE MUSIC
That's all in jeopardy. How can you help? Due to budget cuts over the last 15 years, decreases in music programs at the elementary levels, particularly in strings programs, have caused the demise of the Wilson High School orchestra. We need to raise funds in order for our students to continue to access support in this specialty area during the 2010-11 school year. GOAL: To raise $8,000 to help pay for the "Strings" expert. HOW YOU CAN HELP ... Make a donation   $500     $250     $100     $50     $25     $1.   Did you play an instrument at Wilson?  Remember how important it was to your high school memories?  Please donate by going to: http://www.wilsonarts.org/artsdrive.htm.


STAY IN TOUCH

WWHS ALUMNI - WEBSITE
Check out the WWHS Alumni website and don't forget to complete the simple online form to join the WWHS Alumni database. To help us reach as many graduates as possible, please consider adding the link to our website (http://www.wilsonalumni.com/) from your website. Pass the word along to your Wilson High School classmates about the Wilson High School Alumni website and the opportunity to register. Tell your friends.

SPAM OR UNSUBSCRIBE
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