Meet Me at the Fair!

Another Day, Another Marching Band

The Minnesota State Fair is going on right now, about 20 minutes away from where I am writing this - if the fair were not going on it's 20 minutes away, that is.  It's a spectacular event that draws into the millions of people, elbow to elbow.

I attended that fair with Phil Johnson in 1962, or thereabouts, and I left with a number of memories, most of them gone today except for recalling the Tiplant that I bought for my mother.  I don't know for sure why I bought it and sure don't know why it's about the only thing I remember about the fair, but it is.  Other than the Sword Swallower, or the guy who could pop his eyes out of his head.

The vendor had several growing in a display of this tropical plant.  I guess I thought it looked cool, and what I got was a root about 3 inches long and one inch in diameter, waxed on both ends.  True to her belief that a mother should receive any gift from a child with great gratitude, she planted it and by golly it grew pretty well.  Somewhere along the line it disappeared, I think, but that makes no difference to this story.

The reason we were in the Cities had nothing to do with the fair, but we'll get to that later while I flog the fair scene for a moment.  Or perhaps I should say the "carnival" scene because that's most of what I recall or think of when I think of fairs.

Like the carnival in Clear Lake over the Fourth, where I once spent ridiculous amounts of money trying to win back what I had already lost, thus compounding my losses, and no, that did not necessarily teach me to become a wise future saver/investor, but it did crimp my entertainment budget for a while.

Northwood was host to its own Centennial as well as the Worth County Centennial, and of course the Worth County Fair every year.  Today the County Fair is scheduled early in the summer, presumably because the value to the carnival folks isn't as great as it once was, so Worth County gets the lesser dates.  Around 1960 my recollection is that the fair was in August, and I say that because it was great to see schoolmates turning out in great numbers when many of them had been out of sight since school got out.

The girls in particular seemed to have matured by 3 or 4 years for some reason, to be even prettier than I recalled them as being when we left school in May.  Or maybe that was because of summer "starvation" - I don't know.

There were many who were quite skilled at the huckster games of the midway and their girlfriends were always carrying large panda bears or similar trophies.  Larry Holstad is one that I admired for his ability to do the ring-toss or knock down the 3 bottles that for reasons of physics were not supposed to go down, or other such rigged games.  So lacking the personal skill or hand-eye coordination, I rather preferred the rides.  The Ferris wheel, for example, was a ride that enabled one to visit with a young lady in private, thus sating the starvation already mentioned.  The scrambler was private, too, but there was normally more screaming going on than talking.

At the State Fair in Des Moines one year I doubled down on the Ferris wheel option, choosing the Double Ferris option, leading to my later conviction that maybe I didn't like the Ferris wheel after all.  And Lord knows so many of the rides today are not made for those with a weak heart.

Circling back to the Minnesota State Fair - Phil and I went there after he had gone to a tryout for the Minnesota Twins at the old Met Stadium in Bloomington, with plans to attend the fair after the tryout.  Every candidate including Phil was given a number to pin to his jersey, and the Twins made it clear that everyone should stick around so they could have a chance to talk to players of interest afterwards.

I watched all the try-out action from the stands, about 30 rows behind home plate.  Seems to me that Halsey Hall and Ray Scott, Twins radio announcers in those days, were sitting maybe 10 seats away - or maybe I'm "over-remembering."  It must have been my first brush with the famous, or more likely an imagined memory.  In any event, when Phil finished his tryout, he was ready to go to the fair because he was convinced he had not performed that well.  That was only his opinion because after a couple days the Twins tracked him down, wanting to talk to him about a Major League career, thus providing my SECOND brush with the famous, Phil Johnson, a fellow who actually wound up signing a professional contract.

Phil should probably pick up the story from here.  My version would probably be to report to you that a baseball career he could have had, though seemingly glamorous, can get in the way of a real life, and I guess if you're including this memory in a story about the fair, you've really said it all, haven't you?

Our Family is Growing Up

Many of you have already been here, done this.

My oldest grandson spent his first night at college last night, at Luther in Decorah.  He's been looking forward to it and I am hopeful he takes full advantage of the opportunities he will be seeing.  And I'm thinking I might get a new sweatshirt out of the deal.

His mother was a bit tearful about this life change, while there, on the way home, and when they stopped to see us today.  Reminded me of her mother 28 years ago.  It's a woman thing, you know.

For the Class of '62 - and our Friends

This has been around for a while and you have probably seen it previously, but whether you have or not, let's see how well you can do on this quiz:

1.  Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2.  Name the last 5 Heisman trophy winners.

3.  Name the last 5 winners of the Miss America contest.

4.  Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5.  Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor or actress.

6.  Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

 

Well, how did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are not second rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.  Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

 

Now, here's another quiz...see how you do on this one.

 

1.  List a few teachers who aided your journey through school

2.  Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3.  Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4.  Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and worthwhile.

5.  Think of five people who you enjoy spending time with.

 

Easier, wasn't it?

 

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

Beyond the lesson this email proposes, I think I could guarantee that at least one name you provide for each answer beyond Question 1 is somebody you went to school with at NKHS, and you will list more than one teacher from NK.

Home Opener Tonight - vs Lake Mills

The Anchor reports the Vikings will host the Lake Mills Bulldogs tonight for the football home opener, having lost to Newman of Mason City last week.

Lake Mills was always a grudge match, it seems, and when we played them in the final game of the '61 season, we could only tie them 6 - 6, keeping our record .500 for the season at three wins, three losses, two ties.  The game itself was anticlimactic, and was personally a downer when the season had started with so much hope.  Apparently the record was the school's best since 1955, but nowhere near the performance of teams since then.

Just for the record, in case any of today's players may read this, we did NOT have leather helmets that could be folded and put in your pocket, and we DID have facemasks, but they were more a single bar or two made of nylon and they didn't look very cool at all.  I believe facemasks first came out when we were in seventh grade and Billy Roberts was the first to be able to put one on his helmet.  I don't know why he was selected but the rest of us didn't get them until 8th grade.

Our equipment was much inferior to what's available today, especially the helmet, which was a suspension style, a shell held off the head by a web of straps.  They were a little better than the leather style of prior players, but not much.  It hurt to "get your bell rung."

The yearbook report on the Lake Mills game says we completely dominated except for one Lake Mills touchdown drive brought about by a costly lapse in defense.  My recollection is more along the line of our just not getting our act together throughout the game than seeing any domination on our part.  If we dominated, why did we lose?  It was a cool or cold night, combined with a so-so record, so the turnout wasn't that great either.

Afterwards we got on the bus and the season's sorrow was mixed with a relief that it was over, unfortunately.  So we wish the 2011 version of the NK Vikings much better success tonight against the archenemy.  And I may place a bet on it with my Bulldog wife.

A Word that Starts with "P" and Stands for "Trouble"

We used to have a lot of fun at the pool.  When it opened somewhere in the mid 50's it was a welcome addition to the community, and by the time we were in high school our class - and others - were supplying the labor force, as shown here, Craig Panburn on the left and Harry Rogers on the right, teaming up to hold Jo Olson.

Craig, Jo, and Harry

Some may recall some hi-jinks by some of those pool employees from time to time, including one David Mikkelson, the PK (Preacher's Kid).  Seems it had to do with some garbage winding up in the pool, and later some "community service" provided as a payback. David enjoyed life and never let anyone run over him, that's for sure.

We can't imagine that Jo was any part of those festivities, but Craig and Harry?  They may well have been ringleaders,  which by no means is a condemnation of their lack of virtue but more a respectful salute to their ability to pull a prank without causing any real damage.  Let's face it - there weren't very many outhouses to tip over by the time we came along!

Remembering Carol

This is an article honoring Carol Orman who died of leukemia in 1996. Carol & I were "best" friends in grade school. We even shared the same birthday.

The Great Buddy Holly Lives On

Yesterday we put out an "all call" for more memories of the days growing up, and Richard Holstad once again stepped up to the plate:

We have needed some new music – some new inspiration – for a long long time now …. since the day the music died more than 51 years ago. 

We shouldn't be surprised if we end up counting on the creativity of the 50’s and 60’s to be reborn and to make things all better again for awhile in the music entertainment world.

Check out the link below about the upcoming remake of Buddy Holly’s music soon to be released.

Based on the information so far - this feels like it is going to be an uncommon CD – one that I am honestly looking forward to owning as much as I anticipated the release of the original music albums back in the 60’s.  

Click this link to reach a YouTube on the re-making of the Buddy Holly music by today's artists.  If you don't "hear" Buddy singing/playing in this tribute, we would be surprised.  It's a real treat.

And just in case you don't recall what he sounded like, click this link for his performance on the Arthur Murray Dance Party in 1957.  The introduction from Kathryn Murray will likely make you think of someone's mother.  The drummer's hair style was a popular one that many of our age used, and probably included a ducktail.  All the folks in the background are dressed very formally, in Arthur Murray style, and you may recall the use of suits and more formal attire on Bandstand as well.

Our thanks to Richard for passing this along!

Introducing "Blade" and "Seed"!

SCA has just returned from his world travels, turned on his computer, and sent along a note about the nicknames he has acquired over the years.

Coach Buddy Mounts

Don't know about you, but I have had at least 13 (nicknames), that I know of, over the years.  As I grow older, I think there may be more that I am not privy to.  One of the givers was Mr. Mounts (not Buddy to me).  Mr. Mounts dubbed Arlyn Morse "Seed" and me "Blade" .  No clue why???  

It is difficult for some people to be creative (by themselves), however, when a catalyst is added ideas abound.  Blade and Seed evolved into just such a creative dynamo.  Many of you remember that there was not much entertainment offered to us as kids.  So, we had to make our own.  Much of this creativity would be considered mundane by today's standards, but some of it may have bordered on the completely irrational....Think "a 1000 ways to die"   

There were Cheech and Chong, Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, but the true Dynamic Duo was "Blade and Seed".  I am prepared to document the escapades and perhaps a separate area of the blog could be dedicated to B & S?

We are prepared to meet the demands of SCA and a new Label has been set up, "Blade and Seed," and as the stories accumulate you will be able to find them all by clicking on that Label on the menu column at right.  

As for the rationale for Buddy Mounts to assign those nicknames, we have no idea why, but there must have been something behind it. The Dynamic Duo might have been the only ones to be so "knighted," since we don't recall anyone else having such luck.  Buddy's younger brother Skip, real name unknown, was a house guest of his for a while, so there was a clear orientation towards nicknames within the family.  Maybe that's it - he thought of Blade and Seed as family?

Pertaining to the "Mr. Mounts" part, we wonder if this high level of respect is possibly granted to him because "Blade" avoided being kicked in the helmet.  Could have been.

Take Me Back to the Sixties

You may have seen this already because it's been around the internet, but this video clip (click the link - be aware it's a bit long) includes music by a number of your old favorites (Ventures, Elvis, Chubby, Fifth Dimension, et al), statistics on what you lived through, and plenty of memories, including, perhaps, a slow dance with that someone special.

One of the first things to catch my eye was the cost of gas in 1960 - 31 cents/gallon.  During much if not all of my sophomore year of college, 1963-64, with a gas war going on in Mason City, 19 cents was the standard.  By the late 60's it was way up to 39 cents and I wondered when would it ever end???

So I Googled 19-cent gas to see if I could find a picture of one of those roadside stands promoting the price at that low level and all I found was 19-cent increases in price.  Oh my.  So I found this photo of a highway in Vegas that accompanied a story about their "cheap" gas at $3.54/gallon, and I suppose the six lanes of traffic with more lanes being built says it all.

Then, later today, Marilyn Weidler sent one of those "remember when" emails and it just happened to include exactly what I was looking for - a picture of a gas station with cheap gas.  I like the "ME" part of the full disclosure he is posting.  Ah, the memories . . .

The author of the aforementioned video clip, if author is the right word, includes "Manchurian Candidate" as one of his favorite moves from the sixties.  Since I didn't see it when it came out, I ordered it from Netflix a year or so ago and found it to be pretty boring.  But isn't that the case with so many of those movies?  Even the "North by Northwest" thriller is pretty mundane these days.  Those movies were not built for hi-def and surround sound.

Your kids don't know what they're missing . . .

The Fertile Fields of Home

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know.

The truth of that hit home this week when I read an article in our local paper about a fellow who has repaired for me a chainsaw, lawnmower, and ATV, and also sharpened chainsaw and lawnmower blades from time to time.  He seemed to be a sharp fellow and I heard tidbits about him from time to time but never the whole story.

On one of my first visits to his backyard garage I asked his name before leaving.  "Robert Flute" was his answer.  Later on I was searching the internet for information on something and found his website, Hudson Mower Doctor.  The site has been modified since I first looked at it.  Back then he listed some unusually diverse services: flute and piano repair, piano tuning, writing essays, website design - and small engine repair.  Incongruous at best.

When a chainsaw sprung a leak beyond my own repair capability, I took it to him in pieces but inside a case.  Before I could begin to explain my problem he grabbed the case and carried to his garage, a sure sign of confidence that he would repair it.  Which he did.

My ATV had a carburetion problem from day one, and three visits to the dealer made only small improvements, so one day when I stood in his garage regarding another problem I just asked if he had ever worked on them.  "Bring it in and we'll see what we can do" was the answer.  I did just that, but had my doubts when he asked how to pull apart the pieces to reveal the engine, then started yanking at wires and hoses.  Yet 20 minutes later he announced I would need to go to the dealer to buy a needle-float valve and he would install it.

He did, and emailed me when it was done.  When I went to pick it up he pretty much gushed about the part he replaced, saying it was an "ingenious" device and would I be OK with leaving it with him to show it to his friends.  I did so, and wondered about these friends of his, whether they were like him, a different breed of bright folks, perhaps, because he sure seemed to be bright himself.

Indeed.  He was a member of Mensa, the High IQ Society.

He was a fascinating, highly-accomplished man, Dr. Robert Snyder, and all of it is detailed in the newspaper article I mentioned earlier.  And by this point you must be wondering why I would write about him since he probably has never heard of Northwood or Kensett, although now I think he may have.

It just strikes me that you have people like that seem to be hidden locally, and NK probably has more than its share but we never acknowledge them.

I think of one of our classmates, Richard Colbertson, who transferred prior to our senior year, a gifted pianist with perfect pitch.  The noon whistle went off one day as we paused between songs during boys chorus.  Hearing the whistle, Lowell Gangstad looked off to the distance as if he could "see" the whistle, then asked Richard what the pitch was.  In about two seconds Richard answered "High C" or whatever it was.  I only recall that Richard knew because I sure didn't.  And I just hope Richard had a better personal environment when he moved on.

There are others.  We've written earlier of the appliance dealer who invented a water temperature control device, the grad who became chairman of Gulf Oil, an upperclasswoman who was "in the room" as chief OR nurse during the first heart transplant by Dr. DeBakey, a classmate gearhead who could make anything run faster - or slower if he wanted, or the veterinarian who was an accomplished photographer developing his own prints.  For a small school, it seems to me we had some pretty gifted teachers, not to mention schoolmates in general..  I could add the names but know I'd be missing some and don't want to be guilty of overlooking the deserving.

That's where you can come in.  You may not have the story of the Mower Doctor to share, or maybe you do, and if that is the case, please pass it along.  We are fully aware of the fertile fields of Northwood-Kensett that turned out some gifted people, and, ironically, we still don't know what we don't know about them.  Help us out.

Miami Luther League Convention, 1961

Thanks to the Anchor, we now know that 32 local, young Lutherans headed to Miami by August 17, 1961. We mentioned this previously in the blog, and we're including a photo apparently taken before the group left. If you were on this bus you probably have stories to share, and we're all ears!!

Traditions Long Gone

   

Doug Fallgatter

Some things are long gone, like it or not.  Like hazing new members of the Letterman's Club, or a Roman Fiesta to celebrate the conclusion of the Latin year of study.

At left, Doug Fallgatter is wearing gloves, tie, and beanie, the latter without a propeller on top as he is initiated into the Letterman's Club.  It is doubtful that any schools would allow this ritual anymore, especially with the bullying connotation that goes along with it, but in our day it was routine.

Doug, of course, is owner of the family grocery store in Northwood  these days, though he probably wouldn't be dressed like this on a normal day at work.

"Roman Citizens"

Doris Johnson and "Neptune"

Another tradition was the year-end celebration of the JCL, which I believe stood for the Junior Classical League.  Doris Johnson was the Latin teacher, perhaps one of the very last to hold such a position, and honestly it seems unbelievable that a small school like Northwood-Kensett would even include this in the curriculum.  In the freshman year the Latin students were "slaves" to the sophomores at this event, and in their second year had the thrill of being served by their own freshman slaves.

Keith Helgeland and Mary Hanson

I honestly don't recall much about the committee process or who handled what, but recall wearing a sheet for a toga (we were ahead of our time - not even Belushi knew about this yet) and eating somewhat unusual food that was, I suppose normal Roman cuisine.  And as a sophomore it was kind of nice to order the freshmen around, another tradition that probably wouldn't be allowed today.

Sorry I can't name all the folks in these photos, but perhaps some of you can.  Just let us know.

Welcome, New Readers

We understand our Letter to the Editor of the Northwood Anchor was posted this week, and we can see the results on our site traffic, far more viewers checking in than normal. Don't worry, we don't know who you are and have no way of finding out, so keep coming back.

What we encourage you to do is to have all our posts emailed to you as they are added to the blog. It's easy enough to enter your email address in the slot on the right of this column, and then follow the procedure required to be sure you're not a spammer or some such horrible person.

We won't be emailing you, either, so don't worry about a solicitation to quarterback the '61 football team. You'd have to play practically by yourself because most of the rest of us are too old or laid up to be able to help.

But it's an easy way to stay in touch. If you're brave enough, you can also ask to be a Contributor, and your stories can also be posted. We do have a few rules, and they are in the page called "Content Guidelines" which is accessed from the list of Pages on the right.

If you try to do it but it won't work out for you, just email us at nkhs62@gmail.com and we'll do our best to help. In the meantime, dig into the older posts; there are a total of 164 stories we've posted, and you might be included in one of them. Happy Reading!

Lee Leidal,

BlogMaster

A Letter to the Northwood Anchor

Dear Editor:

50 years ago this month, the NKHS Class of 62 was preparing for their last year as N-K students, and next July the class will be celebrating its 50th Reunion. Members of the class have some great memories of high school and their hometowns, and that's led to some very close relationships over the years, even though some moved away before graduating - but still stayed in touch.

Many classmates remain in the area, but we've also scattered to both coasts and around the nation, yet still expect to see most of the class next July. Just over a year ago, an email comment from one classmate, Marsha Gaarder Hasseler, led to the formation of a blog that has been capturing memories ever since. The blog includes stories, photos, and even articles from the Northwood Anchor to store and memorialize what we were living through.

It was the last year for the Old High School building, torn down some time later, and the new building was already under construction although we pretty much ignored that. The arches in the old gym are as deeply ingrained in our memories as the undefeated basketball team that played there. So the old building is getting mentioned in the blog along with teachers, upperclassmen, underclassmen, sports, the Shell Rock River, Highway 105, and the communities themselves including the water towers, just to name a few topics.

We lived in the Eisenhower years, the age of innocence, and shared those years with many of you. So the purpose of this letter is to let you know about the blog if you hadn't already known it was there, and if you have personal memories of the 50s and 60s especially as they relate to growing up and going to school in Northwood or Kensett, we'd like to hear about them so they, too, can be included in this personalized history.

To follow the blog, go to www.nk62.blogspot.com, or just Google NKHS 62 and it will show up. And if you would like to contribute your own stories, email nkhs62@gmail.com, and we can either post the stories for you, or send you an invitation to do your own posting. We'd love to have more people contributing, because we know there are many great memories from an age that seems so unlike today.

We look forward to seeing many of you in July of 2012, probably over the 4th during the parade as we celebrate the 50 years that have passed by so quickly. In the meantime, check out our blog and let us know your own recollections.  Skol, Vikings!

Sincerely,

LeRoy (Lee) Leidal

NKHS '62

Where Dreams Began

Bolan - on Letterman!

I missed a followup on a story in the Anchor last week, one that prompted my recalling the Centennial held in Bolan 25 years ago.  The big news at that time was having the entire town flown to New York for an appearance on the Letterman show.  All 15 adults, or however many there were.

I even stayed up late to watch it, and it was indeed kind of quirky for them to be on the show but how many other towns have you known to be flown into New York?  One of the locals, who did not go, pretty much scoffed at it, thinking that it was only a chance for Letterman to make fun of them, which he did to a degree, but again - how many times do you get a free trip to New York?

Their Quasqicentennial is scheduled to be held on August 27 and I will miss that, too, but I'm sure it will be well attended.  At the Centennial 25 years ago they featured a "Stand Still Parade", which is to say all the floats and entries were lined up and you could walk from one end to the other to view them, since there wasn't really anywhere to drive those entries anyway, so they "stood still".  I'm not making fun here - that's a pretty nifty way to stand out.  You know, when you only have lemons, make lemonade.

This year they may have outdone the prior celebration with their unique and seventh annual Bolan Tractor Ride featuring a "mystery tour" with a surprise route to be followed on that day.  For only $20 you get ride support, a coffee break, lunch in Bolan, and homemade pie and ice cream.  A new kind of tail-gating, I guess.  Bet you couldn't get that in New York!

News from the Anchor

For the first time in my life, I am a subscriber to the Northwood Anchor.  It's time to keep up with what's going on back home even though most of what I'm looking for happened 50 years ago, and will be found in that section of the paper called the "Early Files."

My first issue arrived a couple weeks ago, and the next one just two days ago.  Lo and behold, there were two items of interest, including the photo here, that of the swiftly flowing Shell Rock doing a bit of damage to the bridge connecting the pool area to the rest of Swensrud Park.

Ordinarily that wouldn't be a big deal, but given the escapades of certain members of the Class of '65, this "liquid ice" kind of caught my eye.  The guardrails would have been difficult to drive around, otherwise it would have been oh so easy to drive right off the bridge and onto the hard stuff those many years ago.  Since that wasn't possible, I can only conclude that the car in question was driven down the bank of the river and onto the ice.  And somehow - safely.

The other story that I found of interest was the one about an invention that was announced in the Anchor when a patent was issued 50 years ago.  Don Weaver of Northwood, former owner of Weaver Bottle Gas and Appliance, was noted for his Tempflo push button water temperature control, with plans to spend all his time on the manufacture, improvement, and marketing of this unique gadget.

But that's all the Anchor reported in the current issue.  Originally the news included a photo of Mr. Weaver and I believe his spouse demonstrating how the gadget worked.  It said that he got the idea for inventing it when he hopped in the shower one time but nearly scalded himself from the overheated water, and in a Eureka moment probably determined he might make a boatload of money while serving humanity with a thermostatically controlled water flow device.

Whether the idea ever took off for him is doubtful, and I can report to you that in some 20 years of traveling around the nation at the rate of up to 12 to 14 nights a month, I never saw one in any hotel that I stayed in.  Still, it was a unique idea and certainly caught my attention back then.  And the Anchor, that local purveyor of truth, wisdom, and local tidbits, has brought two more memories back into my life.  Our thanks to them for having done so, and now I can begin to reflect on all the news that I have been missing since 1962!

Radio Paradise

In a recent post I mentioned Radio Paradise, a free streaming radio program.  Just now the music being played was Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," a classic if ever there was one, and you should click that link if you don't recall the music.  Brubeck and that composition have been heralded for the role they have played together in the history of jazz - and music.

As mentioned previously, Radio Paradise also has an HD slideshow that you can watch while the music plays.  (It's OK on a computer monitor, though superior through a ROKU streaming device or Google TV.)  For the duration of "Take Five" just now, the photos cycling through were of the retro look - a kitchen, dining area, seating device, a living room, cars from the 40's and 50's including a '59 Chev and the tailfins of a 50s era Caddy.

Too late I pulled out my camera to shoot some photos for inclusion here because I was transfixed by those being shown, and slow on the trigger.  But next time, I will have it.  In the meantime, check it out, at www.radioparadise.com.  It's a free service with a variety of music that you may enjoy.