One Year and Counting

We don't know when you started viewing this blog and in fact just discovered the first posting on the blog occurred a couple months earlier than we recalled, on June 5, 2010. The posting was titled The Northwood Swim Pool and read:

Found by Marsha Gaarder Hasseler in the ancient news section of the Northwood Anchor:

May 19, 1960
Four lifeguards were hired for the Northwood swimming pool for the season and are Craig Pangburn, Sharyl Knutson, Harry Rogers and Craig Ensign. All have earned the senior lifesaving certificate of the American Red Cross. Donna Davenport and Jane Pacey will be lifeguards at the wading pool.

Today it seems that was a lightweight story to kick this off but it is what it is, and now we are close to 150 posts later. And in need of more stories from all you readers. Most blogs last no more than 90 days, so there's a little bit of pride here, that we're one year and counting, and many of you have been extraordinarily helpful to float reminders of what we enjoyed 50 years ago, thus keeping this alive. And we ain't done yet, especially if you submit your own stories and photos.

The blog started out kind of by accident. After a few emails flew back and forth a year ago, Marsha sent a couple to us including notice of the above big event from 1960, with a note saying, "Wouldn't it be nice if we had a place to store all these stories so they're available at our 50th reunion in 2012." From that suggestion and a few personal questions like, "What if I . . . ?" we discovered the Google blog system is relatively easy to use, photo friendly, available for others to expound on any topic while restrictive in who can be let in, and best of all, free. And if you've been following the blog, you now notice a new background template - celebrating the first year.

We have heard a planning committee met last week to begin the process of the 50th so we can indeed expound on any of these topics and brag - if we want to. Bob and Vickie Hall, Cheryl Calabria, and Karen Abrahms met in Northwood and have since had communications with Larry Holstad. We're sure to hear more from them as the planning moves forward, and in the meantime you may want to mark your calendar for the four days of July 4 - 7 as they narrow in on best possible dates.

You might also contact them or nkhs62@gmail.com with your ideas on how you'd like to celebrate. A variety show? That's what Merrilee Reid suggested once. Well, maybe not exactly a variety show, but she can fill you in. Personally, we think a Kangaroo Court is imperative, if for no other reason than to finally bring Stan Arendts to justice for his flagrant violations of the - er - law.

We're kind of rambling a little bit here, from the blog to the history to the committee to the reunion, but all of it leads us back to the same place, where we grew up - and dreams began.

Lee Leidal

BlogMaster