Sunday, March 22, 2009

LHS March 22nd Update

Ahoy, fellow LHS alums!

Announcing the first ever cruise for alumni, February 27 - March 7, 2010, aboard the Carnival Freedom!!! We'll depart from Ft. Lauderdale and visit the following tropical ports of call: San Juan, St. Thomas, Antigua, Tortola and Nassau.

The cruise is being brought to you by the LHS alumni team of YTB Travel Agents. You can book your cruise on any of the following websites:

www.smartway2travel.com
Bob "Sax" Drake Class of 1961

www.moodyranchtravel.com
Bob Moody Class of 1962

www.itssoeasy2travelonline.com
Lonnie Morris Class of 1963

www.advantagefunfares.com
Dan Thompson Class of 1964

www.lotsleft2see.com
Gail Wolfe Class of 1970 (is that right, Gail?) LOL


Just click on one of these links. Once you are on the home page, click on the GROUPS tab. Scroll down to "Alumni Cruisin' the Caribbean" with the date Feb 27, 2010. Click on it and there you will find a detailed description of the cruise, a map of the itinerary, and all the other information you'll need. The prices listed included all taxes and fees, all meals on board the ship as well as all required gratuities.

We got a fabulous deal on this and have 25 cabins reserved, so hurry, they'll go fast! All LHS alums invited..and feel free to bring family and friends.

Our ship, The Carnival Freedom, is only two years old, and she's a beauty!
You can check her out at www.carnival.com

Class of 1955 & 54 Class Reunion in Denver , CO Sept. 11-12 2009. Check the website for information.

Deceased alumni: Donald Ray Purkapile passed away March 8th, 2009. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters and has eight grandchildren. Memorial donations should go to the Alzheimer’s Assoc.

The husband of Pat Bemis, Edward “Ed” W. Johannsen died Jan. 22nd, 2009. He was a graduate of Little River H.S. in 1954. Pat survives and to leave a message for the family, visit, www.Penwell-Gabel.com.

Delores Smith died Jan. 18th, 2009. She was a 1960 graduate of LHS.

Edith Louis Monroe passed away Jan. 30th, 2009. she was the mother of LHS alumni Herbert, Camp Hill , PA ; Harvey, of Florida ; Roy of Emporia and Elaine of Emporia. She and her husband George farmed in Rice County for 27 years.

I believe someone sent me information about another deceased alum and I have misplaced it. Please let me know and I apologize.

Our prayers are with the families.

Cook family fulfills dream. Town Square Emporium and J & J Espresso filling a niche on the Square. The staff at the Emporium and coffee shop are Janes McCormick, Janet, John, Jane and Janel Cook. I believe they are all LHS Alumni but I can’t tell you the years. John and Jane are the parents of Janes, Janel and Janet.

Janel and Janet bought the old Crawford & Miller building on the south side of the Square. A café is included along with a place for local vendors to sell their wares.

Good luck to the Cooks and make sure you stop and say hi and support them on your return trips to Lyons .

Spring is almost here and I can’t wait. I’m going to CA from April 7th -14th. Will be in the San Diego and Huntington Beach area. Let me know if you live in those areas and maybe we can get together.

I hope all is well with you and your families.
Sax Drake Class of 1961.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Lyons High School Alumni Update

CHANGE!!!!!
A lot of things have happened in the last few months. Most of it out of your control, but as I will show you, you can have control of your financial situation or at least absorb some of the blow.

I really believe I have a purpose in life and that is to help many of you who have lost much of your retirement or who would just like to travel more for less to start your own company. You have the opportunity to do exactly what Lonnie and I and a few other LHS alumni are doing.

Lonnie Morris, LHS alum had to pay $5,000 in taxes last year. That means he had to make $512 extra a month to pay his taxes. Lonnie called the other night and told me because of the company I have been telling you about for the past nearly two years he is getting a $4,000 tax return. That is an extra $333 per month in his pocket because he took a look at this company and bought his own online travel website. The IRS allows you tax deductions most people don’t have the opportunity to get because they don’t have a business. He also received numerous travel perks because of this great company.

At least take a look at this company’s business model and if it doesn’t make sense, by all means don’t get involved. We would still like to have you give us every opportunity to book your travel and vacation packages.

I know many of you think Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Cheap Tickets, etc. are great companies and that Lonnie, myself, Gail, Bob, and Dan can’t possibly have our own companies that rival these. We don’t; ours is as good if not better and you are going to get the same seat on the airline, the same hotel room, the same cabin on a cruise, the same vacation package, because we all have the same vendors. We will have nearly the same rates 95% of the time.

I know many of you are booking travel and side trips which you can easily do on our websites. If you compare our rates and we are not competitive, give us a call or e-mail and let us see if we can get you a better rate. We had someone tell us they got a rate that was a lot better than our airline rate to Vegas and when we went on the website, we found a hotel and airfare rate combined that was better than just the airfare they had found. Can we always do that, No! We just ask for the opportunity. We would hope you would rather book with an alum than the owners of the companies who are already multi-millionaires. By the way, I don’t begrudge them for making that money. They took the chance and invested, just like I did.

Any of you interested call any of the alumni involved and we can give you information. Any of you who would actually like to see the company and meet the owners, I will be in St. Louis on March 17th to tour the headquarters along with 1,000 – 1,500 people from all across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean Islands.

A number of you received an invitation to be able to shop online in over 600 stores and get cash back. Example, we just bought $25 restaurant gift certificates for $2. Usually they are $10 but we have bought them for $2, $3, and $4. We are eating out more than when this recession started and for less.

It is all with the same company as the travel program. All we need to do for the online shopping is to get your e-mail address and invite you. Like I said, I already e-mailed a number of you.

Like I said I believe I have a purpose to help. I have been with the company for going on two years, so I have taken out all the chances of it not being a legitimate company. The good thing is we have met a lot of new friends all over the country and the positive attitudes of everyone in this company are a blessing.

Contact us and we will answer any questions.

We have lost two more alums and teacher:
Deborah Boggs Gobble died 2-27-09. She graduated from LHS in 1971. She received graduate honors at California State College at Chico, CA. She lived the last 11 years in Hutchinson. Memorials can be sent to A.S.P.C.A. or to the United Methodist Church of Lyons.

Ted White, star guard on the State Championship basketball team for Lyons in 1941, and was among four Marines who made WW II history on Iwo Jima in 1945, passed away at Indian Wells, CA. He was 85. He was one of four marines who scouted the peak of Mt. Suribachi for signs of enemy presence, a few hours before the raising of the American Flag that has been immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. Ted received a debilitating leg wound 6 days after he was on Mt. Suribachi. He returned to the states and went to University of CA, Santa Barbara on the G.I. Bill. He had first enrolled at the Univ. of Kansas before going into the Marines. He worked for State Farm as a district manager for 27 years.

Ruth Avery died 1-11-09 at Lyons Dist. Hosp. She was 102. She was a retired high school and grade school teacher for USA 405. She is survived by her son Richard, living in Albuquerque, NM. Memorials can be made to the American Red Cross; 111 N. Walnut, Suite B, Hutchinson, KS. 67501.

Our prayers are with the families and they will be missed.

Hope you are all doing well.

Sax Drake
Class of 1961

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Lyons High School Alumni Update - 02-08-09

Hope you are all doing well. You may also read this and past updates on the LyonsAlunni.com website. It is starting to be reunion time again. Let me know if you are having a Reunion this year and I will post the information on the website.

Information is attached about the 1954 – 1955 Alumni Reunion combined. It will be held in Denver, CO. Sounds like a fun time. Any one else having a reunion let me know.

Getting ready to head to St. Louis tomorrow, our company is having what they call Red Carpet Days. There will be 1500-2,000 people from all across the United States there.

Michelle her daughter and I will be in Calif. April 7th – 14th. We will be in the San Diego and Huntington Beach area. Hope to get together with some of the LHS alums who live in CA while we are there.

A number of us are getting together the week-end of the 20th – 22nd. Dennis Bradford Class of 1961 is going to be in Lyons visiting his mom and brother Larry. Dennis now resides in Australia. His sister Barbara and brother Richard will also be in town. Let me know if you are going to be in town that week-end. Lyons High School final home game is being played Fri. the 20th and some of us are going to the game. Let me or Bev Miller know if you can attend the game. Also contact Bonnie Evans Walker if you plan to attend. It will be fun. We will get to see Dennis and also other LHS alums.

Hope you have all registered for the “Trip of a Lifetime” SWEEPSTAKES on the LHS alumni travel websites. If you have questions contact me.

My parents Harold & Sylvia are having their 73 wedding Anniversary March 3rd 2009. If you would like to send a card their address is Harold & Sylvia Drake, 1100 W. Noble #111, Lyons, KS. 67554. They would certainly appreciate it. Thanks from the family.

LIONS LINGO by Bonnie Evans Wed. Apr. 27th, 1960
Yesterday the sociology class visited the Larned State Hospital for a tour. Richard McKee was the moderator and the panel discussion was on “Community Environment.” The high light of the tour was a demonstration of music and recreation activities by some of the patients. Called from the audience to folk dance with some of the patients were Bill Palmer, Lyle Edds, Byron Welch, Darrell Cox, Sharry Duncan, Louise Danewitz, Ellen Savage and Mr. McKee.

Four LHS students spent the week-end at KU, guest of Gloria Mays at the GSP Hall were Sharry Duncan, Mary Kay Kennedy. Robert Wahl and John Jones were guest of David Kennedy at the Phi Kappa Psi house. High lights of the week-end were the KU Relays and a Phi Kappa Psi, “Barn Party” Sat. night.

The Ebenezer Methodist Church high school class honored Darlene Cool with a surprise birthday party at her home Sat. The group played games and enjoyed refreshments of homemade ice cream and cake. Attending were Gay Wilkins, Wand Helmer, Janice Wilkins and Don Colberg.

Wed. April 6th, 1960
Hutchinson High School was the destination of many LHS’ers today. 31 students were selected by their teachers to take the Emporia Scholarship Test in various subjects. Those making the highest scores will receive medals and certificates. Entered in the testing were Sam Biggs, Anita Burdette, Helen Louise Bush, Barbara Bunting, Sidney Cherpitel, Jim Chew, Sharry Duncan, Bob Bunting, Lyle Edss, Joe Fisher, Bonnie Evans, Byron Goodrick, Tom Hamilton, Wanda Helmer, Roy Irwin, Lynne LeClerc, Jerome Lehnus, Ronnie Leonard, Phillip Mathews, Linda Nicholson, Coleen Nixon, Bill Palmer, Sharon Pickerell, Jerry Regier, Loren Rickard, Ann Rowan, Judy Swenson, Beverly Thompson, Judy Volin, Robert Wahl and Gay Wilkins.

Please get us pictures of your high school days so we can get them on the website.

Have a great February,

Sax Drake
Class of 1961

Thursday, February 5, 2009

1954 and 1955 Class Reunion

The 1954 and 1955 graduates of Lyons High School will be holding a joint class reunion (the 55th for '54 and the 54th for '55) in Denver, Colorado on the 11th (Friday) and the 12th (Saturday) of September, 2009. We have chosen the Hyatt Place Hotel as our place of billeting. They gave us a favorable room rate with the ability to come earlier or extend your stay, at the same rate. The rooms will be $79.00 per night plus necessary taxes. This hotel is located in the heart of one of the best shopping locations in the Denver Metro area. The light rail station is but a matter of minutes by foot, from the hotel, and will whisk you to downtown Denver in no time. 3 public golf courses are located within 2 miles of the hotel. The location of the hotel is listed as Denver-South/Park Meadows, 9030 E. Westview Road, Lone Tree, CO 80124. Numbers for reservations are Phone: 303-662-8500 and Fax: 303-662-8585. Sam Hansen is the sales Coordinator. When calling or faxing for reservations, please mention the Lyons H. S. class reunion to receive your rate.

Your representatives here in Denver for your classes are Howard Jeffries for the class of '55 and Tony Wilcox for the class of '54. Howard may be reached at 303-795-2007 or e-mail at HMJEFFRIES@AOL.COM. Tony may be reached at 303-794-1235 or e-mail at joe.wilcox@ xcelenergy.com. Any questions may be directed to either one. We would also like to extend an invitation to all Lyons alumnus to join us in this celebration. The more the merrier. A very, very informal dinner will be held on Saturday, the 12th. Details to follow at a later date on this web site.

Letters will be sent to the respective members of each class for those that do not have access to this site.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Lyons Alumni Update: 2-2-09

One more bad month of Winter, but if you go to one of the websites listed below you can have a chance to win a fabulous trip for two to the Bahamas where it is definitely warm. When you go to any of the websites in the lower right hand corner it will say “Trip of a Lifetime Sweepstakes” and when you click on register it will tell you what you have a chance to win. Each of the next twelve months our company will notify you of the next Sweepstakes drawing. You can’t beat FREE and if you don’t register you have no chance of winning.

We are having a visitor from down under (Australia) visiting Lyons in Feb. Dennis Bradford Class of 1961 is going to be in Lyons. Also his sister Barbara, and brothers Richard & Larry are going to be in Lyons on the 22nd. of Feb. Anyway the 22nd is when we are all going to get together for certain but the Lyons Lions has their last basketball game on Friday Feb. 20th and some of us would like to meet their and root the young men and women on to victory. If anyone is staying at the new Celebration Inn let me know because that would be a great place to meet each evening or at the Underground (TeePee) at the Ly-Kan Hotel.

Lions Lingo by Bonnie Evans: Wed. Sept 7th 1960 in The Lyons Daily News.
Practice started early in the school year for the LHS chorus linewho met at the home
of Ann Rowan yesterday. Returning members are Sandi Sanderson, Ann Rowan,
Helen Bush, Diane Smith, Gail Hughes, Mary Kay Kennedy, Sharon Rau and Bonnie
Evans. Tentative high steppers are Judy Wingfield and Diane Clarke. The girls are
preparing for their 4th year as the only chorus line in Lyons.

Sammy Biggs, senior was attempting a back flip at the trampoline center Saturday,
when he fell and broke his neck. He was taken to the district hospital and then
transferred to St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Hutchinson. Although Sam will be in a cast
he plans to continue his studies. NOTE: I remember going down to visit Sam and I
think they some how attached a pulley to the back of his head with weights to keep his
neck straight. It definitely didn’t look comfortable. I don’t remember who was with
me when we visited Sam.

Lions Lingo - Sat. July 2nd, 1960
Helene Louis Bush was feted at a slumber party in her honor at Diane Smith’s home
this week. Girls gathering for the all-night gab session were Sandi Sanderson, Diane
Lehnus, Norma Harrington, Judy Dickerson, Sharon Rau, Coleen Nixon, Carolyn
Rush, Rosie Rickard, the hostess and the guest of honor. Invited but unable to attend
were Ann Rowan, Sharry Wikoff and Kathy Lewis. NOTE: Does anyone know where
Norma Harrington and Diane Lehnus are. I was e-mailing Kathy Lewis but have lost
track of her since she and her husband moved to Oregon.

VERY IMPORTANT: Lyons News Tuesday, January 13th, 2009
“Letter Campaign Wins over Navy Bureaucracy” – Among millions of Americans
who have served in the nation’s military, Ed Suhler of Lyons had the distinction of
becoming hopelessly lost in U.S. naval records, figuratively speaking, for nearly half
century. He served from Feb. 1961 to Feb. 1965, a duration that included the Cuban
Missle Crisis, but it wasn’t until a week before Christmas that Suhler and his full
military service record were finally united.
Sadly it was a recognition at which Suhler was conspicuously absent.
He passed away never having succeeded – after repeated attempts throughout much
of his adult life – in convincing the Navy he had earned the Navy’s Expeditionary
Medal. The little ceremony consisted of Lyons dentist Thane Frazier, WW II veteran
and naval historian, presenting the long absent medal to Suhler’s mother, Ester during
lunch at Park Place Apartments in Lyons.
Suhler returned home and joined the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars. He eventually
became post commander in spite of a shadow of doubt among some members. There
was no record of Suhler’s service at sea (overseas) with an expeditionary force in
time of conflict, a requirement for VFW membership. Suhler had his own proof –
photos, USS Constellation liberty passes, and so forth – but the Navy had no records.
Thanks to Dr. Frazier, Ed has now had his record recorded properly.

To sign up for the FREE “Trip of a lifetime Sweepstakes” go to:
Bob “Sax” Drake – www.SmartWay2Travel.com
Lonnie Morris – www.ItsSoEasy2TravelOnline.com
Bob Moody – www.MoodyRanchTravel.com
Gail Wolfe – www.LotsLeft2See.com
Dan Thompson – www.AdvantageFunFares.com

Hope you are all doing well and until next time – Good Day!

Sax Drake
Class of 1961

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Lyons High School Alumni Update:

The year is rapidly winding down. They already have and have had the Christmas stuff out for a month or more. Remember when we were growing up, I graduated in 1961 you didn’t see any Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving.

Well, we have a new president. He is my president and I have to give him a chance. A lot of people never accepted George Bush as president and that is sad. I voted for him but hate he passed every spending bill Congress put in front of him. I’m for less government, not spreading the wealth and let each man have the initiative to get ahead. I don’t mind giving a hand up, not a hand out. They are already talking about giving another 5 billion stimulus package to stimulate the economy. I thought the last give away was supposed to stimulate the economy. Oh, I forgot, it didn’t work last time, so let’s try it again and expect it to work.

What do you call it when they give you money you didn’t earn. It is not capitalism, which is exactly what made this the greatest country on earth. Our founding fathers wrote the Constitution to give us freedom and not let government get too big. They came from countries where government that was too large and powerful. They new the danger in that.

The fact is Barack Obama is our president. We have to accept that because it is what true Americans do and pray he will be the best ever. People absolutely hated George Bush and it has divided our country like I have never seen. If you disagree with the President you vote someone else in next time, you don’t hate him.

We stayed at the new Celebration Center Inn in Lyons this past week-end. Very nice, and you get a breakfast with the room. It includes cereal, waffles, muffins, bagels, toast, orange juice, coffee, apple juice and peanut butter. Even had popcorn you could microwave. Guess it is good to have two motels and a hotel in town but none was full and they had a horse show, parade, and football play off game in town..

Saw Arlan Swanson, class of 1954 I think. He had his old restored John Deere tractor in the parade pulling the Lion he won at the All-School Reunion on a trailer behind his tractor in the Veteran’s Day Parade.

We went down to Wichita to buy my step-daughter a new saxophone. She is really quite good and only a sophomore in high school. I don’t know how good she could be if she practiced!!

We lost a couple more alumni: Cheryl Hunter Blackburn Class of 1964 passed away on Nov. 7th in Wichita. She had been living in Lyons the past 6 years. In Aug. 1998 she married Jimmy Blackburn in Lamar, CO. She is survived by two sons and three daughters. She had 12 grand children and one great grand child. She will be missed.

Bev Buller (obit attached) passed away Oct. 21st in Sandusky, Ohio. He graduated in 1952 and quarterbacked the team to the league championship. He then quarterbacked for Kansas University and then for a short time played for the New York Giants professional football team. His father John was our superintendent when I was in school and the football field is named after him. Bev was the purchasing director for the Sandusky Foundry & Machine Company. They are going to start a Memorial Fund in his honor called the Lyons USD Education Endowment Association. I believe Wayne Koons and John & Carolyn Sayler are the directors for the fund and if you want to contribute you can send it to the above name P.O. Box 742, Lyons, KS. 67554. Make a note on the check for the Bev Buller Fund.

Received a well thought out note from Wayne Bell for the Class of 1961 Reunion. It will be our 50th. Oh my gosh, you have to be kidding. I believe the next All-School Reunion is in 2011. His thoughts were do we want to coincide with the All-School or do ours at a different time. The last All-School Reunion had people staying in Hutch, Great Bend, McPherson, Sterling and of course Lyons. Our thought was to get out a questionnaire to our class but we would start with this update and ask questions such as:
1.) Coincide with the All-School Reunion
2.) Change our date and have it at a different time in Lyons
3.) Have it some place other than Lyons, Denver, San Diego, etc.
4.) Have a different venue such as a Cruise, could be to Alaska during the summer or Caribbean, Mexico, Baja California in the Fall. On cruises if we get enough cabins sold we can get free cabins that would lessen everyone’s cost.
Start sending in your ideas and we will let you know what our classmates are leaning toward. When we have the reunions in Lyons we get in on a Friday night, have our meeting Sat. night and we hardly get to visit with anyone, but it is our hometown. I just want to see everyone and have some time to spend visiting.

We have a new Lyons Alum who has her own online travel website. Gail O’Hanlon Wolfe.. If you are planning to travel take a look at Gail’s website, it is www.lotsleft2see.com Other Lyons Alumni with travel websites are; Lonnie Morris Class of 1963; Dan Thompson Class of 1964; Bob Moody Class of 1963, and Bob Drake Class of 1961 We would hope Lyons alumni family and friends would use these alumni’s websites found on the www.LyonsAlumni.com website if you book your travel online. You will get the same seat in the plane, the same room at the hotel and the same cabin on the cruise ship, same rental car, same vacation package, that you will get with Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Cheap Tickets, Priceline, etc except you help a fellow Lyons alum by booking your travel or making your vacation plans on their website. You can even purchase flowers, buy cars, set up golf tee times, buy concert or sporting event tickets, purchase adventure, hunting and fishing trips and more on their websites. Better yet ask one of us how you could set up your own family reunion trips or cruises, etc.

You want to purchase an incredible Christmas Gift for family members or friends. What better Christmas gift than to wake up on Christmas morning, take a loved one to the computer and pull up their own online travel website that you purchased for them. Sound unbelievable? It can happen, we have people making millions a year with this business people making a car or house payment and people who use it only for their travel needs and tax write-offs. We personally will be able to legitimately write off our taxes between $15,000 - $20,000 for 2008. We have families in this company who have partnered to work their business. It is a gift that will keep on giving. Jerry is the guy who told me about this business and we love him for it for what it has done for us. You can contact, Gail, Lonnie, Bob, Dan or me about this incredible business.
Juanita Danewitz is back in Rio I believe for the winter and doing her favorite thing, doing the Tango. We will be getting updates from her on her stay in South America.

Jerry Regier Class of 1961 looking for Mike Stephenson Class of 1960. They were good friends and Jerry said Mike’s dad was killed in an accidental shooting. His mom later married Dr. Hill of Lyons. Mike went to Hutch Juco and then Jerry thinks he went on to KU. He thinks he may have taken over the families large feed mill business in Hutch. Jerry said Mike had the fastest 57 Black Chevy in the region and that he an Mike were double dating when Jerry totaled his 1955 Chevy going to Hutch. Jerry said he had a date with Connie Groth and Mike with Colleen Nixon. I remember they were very fortunate to have escaped with their lives in that wreck. They hit a bridge on Plum Street and Colleen ended up in the stream below. If you know where Mike is let us know.

We could sure use some subscriptions or donations for the alumni website for the webmaster. Send checks to the Lyons Alumni Club, Lyons State Bank, Lyons, KS 67554 or go to the website and you can use your credit card. Thanks.

Hope you are all doing well.

Sax Drake Class of 1961

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Lyons High School Alumni Update - 11-01-08

I ask all of you to take an hour out of your busy schedule and listen to a speech by Ezra Taft Benson called Stand Up for Freedom. You can google it. It is an incredible speech about this wonderful country of ours and the dangers he foresaw about its future..

Just a few more days before the election; get out and vote for the person you believe will be the best leader for our country. It is a shame our country has become so divided.

Let's talk about high school stuff!

If you were in Lyons from the years approximately 1959 - 1964 the basketball coach was Bob Smith. He was so passionate about our hitting free throws that we had to be at the gym around 7:00 a.m. to shoot 100 free throws before school. Ralph Voss, Class of 1961 did some great work in finding this information for me. We had heard the story but here it is. The K-State Wildcats were 4-2 when they played 6-2 KU. A win would send the Cats back into the conference hunt. The coaches were Jack Gardner and Phog Allen They had both won 12 games against each other.
Kansas ( Manhattan ): KU delivered a fatal blow to K-State, defeating the Cats 80-78. The Hawks led for most of the game and held a 79-76 lead with less than a minute to play. The Cats Gary Bergen nailed a tip-in with 45 seconds to go, and when KU tried to stall, the Purple forced a turnover. With K-State down by one point, the Jayhawks Ken Buller fouled the Wildcats Bob Smith with just 10 seconds remaining. Kansas State fans were in hysterics as the sopohomore from Hope , Kansas went to the line. Smith missed the first free throw and then the second. The Jayhawks secured the rebound and scored a final point as KU's Dean Smith (became a great coach at North Carolina ) was fouled in the rebound scramble.

Thank you Ralph. I wish Ralph could have graduated with us, as he is a special person and I will always consider him a very good friend.

Our track coach was Larry Frisbie and he competed on the KU track team from 1953-1957. He ran the quarter mile. Coach was from Stafford . He was a very good track coach. At the Kansas State Indoor Track Meet, I begged to get out of the quarter because I had the fastest qualifying time in the low hurdles. Since we did not have a track I had never practiced over 100 yards in the hurdles and out doors they were 180 yards. I was always ahead or even for the first 80 - 100 yards and then they would fly by me and I might get a 4th or 5th place. Those were ribbons back then. Coach Frisbie told me to come back up in a little while and he would think about letting me out of the quarter. I waited awhile and went back up just certain he was going to let me out of the quarter and to my astonishment he told me not only was I going to run the quarter, I was going to win a first place medal. I'm not sure if I told him he was crazy but if not it definitely went thru my mind. The reason I wanted out of the quarter was that the next race after the quarter was the low hurdles. There was no way I could run both. Coach said the runners and there coaches haven't competed indoors. He said the curves are very tight and you have to run them differently. He said let's go down to the track and I will show you how to run the curves. I still wasn't really convinced because these were the best runners in the state and I knew most of them by the back of their heads because that is where I usually was. There was a group of us in the state that at the finish line we would be bunched but I was at the back of the bunch pretty consistently. He told me what to do and not only did I win the race I set a state record and it was all because of coach Frisbie. He was really tough on me a few times but I thought he was a great coach and person and I miss him.

Statements made in 1955:
"It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where married women are having to work to make ends meet."
"Did you see where some baseball player just signed for $75,000 a year just to play ball. It wouldn't surprise me if some day they will make more than the president."
"Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people."
"The drive-in restaurant is convenient in bad weather but I seriously doubt whether they will ever catch on."

Do any of you have alumni you would like to contact or maybe just wondering what may have happened to certain alumni. Wasn't their an alum in the class of 1960 named Gary Smith. He was a good looking guy that always had a smile on his face. He was a pretty good athlete too. Let me know if you have alumni you have lost contact with. When we get the list up on the website we will be able to go in and see if alumni have registered. Webmaster is still working on that aspect of the website.

Lyons Daily News Aug. 1st 2005: In the good old days - 50 years ago 1955
4-H Tour and Display. The Lyons Conquerors 4-H Club held a project tour Sat. morning and a food and clothing display and demonstration on making muffins by Myrna Darling at the Floyd Jung home. Following the tour and demonstration the group had a swimming party.
The projects shown on the tour were Duroc hogs, room improvement and woodworking, Mike Stewart; Duroc, Berkshire, and Yorkshire hogs, chickens, and Ponca wheat, Keith & Art Johnson; colt and Angus deferred steers, Duroc pigs, Pawnee wheat and yellow buff Bantam chickens, Junior Clarke; Southdown fat lamb and Duroc pigs, Alma Smith; Angus heifer and milo, David Keller; Shorthorn heifers, Vernon Soeken; Sky-hi chickens, Roy McKinnis; foods, rabbits, and Duroc pigs, Paula Jung; clothing, foods and Duroc pigs, Sharon Jung; Milking Shorthorn, Johnnie Cook; Milking Shorthorn Lila Cook; rabbits and Milking Shorthorn, Gary Cook; rabbits and Milking Shorthorn Margaret Cook; Bantam chickens, Barbara Keesling; room improvement, Glenda Reed; Shorthorn cows, Herbert & Harvey Monroe; steers Jack England and potatoes, Fred England.

We lost another valued alumni. Ronnie Wilcox, Class of 1965, I believe. Ronnie had lived in Chase since 1967 and at one time was Mayor and served on the city council. He was a retired oilfield superintendent. He will be missed and our prayers go out to the family.
Sax Drake Class of 1961