Bill Engelhardt

Summer 1964

Al Peffley

CLODHOPPER - Noun; "A clumsy, coarse person; a bumpkin."

SODBUSTER - Noun; "An oldtime disparaging word for farmer often used by cattle ranchers, range cowboys, or buffalo hunters."

Are you sure about the year of that Space Needle photo, Bill? The two pickup trucks in the photo are newer than 1968, but the first generation red Jeep Wagoneer could be an early 60's model.The Chevy El Cameno in the photo looks like a '68 or '69 vintage car. The shape of the roof is the clue. I owned a '72 at one time. Here is a photo of a '68 with an aftermarket grill and five-spoke mags:

Gregg Wilson

Gee, Thanks, Al,

Having worked on farms, I think I have been both. However, when my cousin and I were whacking away sprouts at the base of filbert trees, we were very high tech. We talked about B52s and hydrogen bombs. And UFOs, of course. The late 1950s were a wonderful time.

Al Peffley

You're wlecome, Gregg. Cattle ranchers had a ranch of owned acreage and lease agreements to graze their cattle on designated open range areas managed by state government, other large land owners, or in some cases federal agencies (BLM works on contract for the US Department of Interior.) The hay market was small and only used for winter emergency feed before 1900. Sodbusters applied for farming homesteads and reduced the open range land availability to the cattle ranchers and the local tribes. Cowboys made their living herding the cattle back to the ranch areas from the open range grazing areas for veterinary treatments, branding, breeding, cattle auctions, milking for dairy operations, and slaughter. Competing lifestyles. My father was an Eastern Washington cowboy raised in a sodbuster family who came from Missouri by wagon in the 1890's to settle in Wiber, WA. He was born in 1906 at Govan, WA. He could ride a horse and roll a handmade smoke with one hand. My dad also broke in and trained wild horses. I am somewhat of a clodhopper with horses, but I can saddle one and also ride bareback with a well-mannered "steed".  There are a  lot of cattle ranchers over around Enterprise in the Wallowa Valley, Oregon. Most of the "sodbuster" grain farmers are located around La Grande, Elgin, and Pendleton, Oregon. The Nez Perse indians were excellent horsemen and brave warriors. Chief Joseph is burried near Lake Wallowa (their historic summer camp), and our annual Rodeo is named after him..; o)
 

Larry Ohrt

It’s always nice to be able to meet up with one of your classmates for lunch.  No need to wait for a class reunion.  Larry Ohrt and Howard Jenks Aug. 16, 2023

Bob Beveridge

Bill:  (Pardon if repeat; not proficient in the technology!).   I was pleased to see the photo of the electric trolley at the Space Needle.

I grewup in Rainier Valley and used to ride the trolley south on Rainier Ave. to visit my Gramdmother or go to Sharples jr. High (before moving to Burien in 9th Grade).  ."Somethings never change!"

Al Peffley

Hey Bob,

I also have good memories about riding the 1940's Pullman Coach trolly busses downtown with my mother in the 1950's. The drive motor had a unique sound as it spooled up when the bus moved out. Bus drivers had an insulated pole to remount the connecting rods on top of the bus if contact was lost with the overhead power wires. The Ambaum segment of the old trolly train from Seattle to Seahurst was dissolved in 1929, but the rail segments down Ambaum and out 152nd to Seahurst were not totally removed until the early 1950's, if my memory serves me correctly. Seatlle still has the overhead, 600 volt trolly bus cable wires in various areas of downtown that supply modern day trolly busses, standard bus length and articulated. It is hard to beat the electric trolly system because we have a cheap hydroelectric power grid and the electric bus motors are so simple to maintain and  replace. Litium battery systems are still not practical like the wire systems (overhead-supplied) or narrow guage rail ground rail-supplied systems like the Max System in Portland. Electric cars and trolly tram systems have been around since the early 1900's. We had lots of clean energy solutions here, long before the Climate Change cult was established for the Great "RESET"; follow the money... They want you to limit your urban travel to no more than 15 minute trips. Don't "fix it" if it isn't broken.

1970's trolly buses at a Downtown to Capitol Hill Transfer Terminal yesterday. I once worked for Pay 'n Save Corp.

Metro trolly buses in Seattle today. A good return on your tax investment as long as the urban terrain stays safe, and desireable/essential  businesses can remain viable in the city.

Bill Engelhardt

Back when Seattle was still a colorful port town....

Linda Pompeo (Worden)

Thanks for posting pictures that bring back good memories of good times.

Paul Simonyi

Has there been any talk of a class reunion for 2024?

Gary Korsgaard

60th reunion. My proposal is I will provide the location iin Federal Way at Belmor Mobile Home Park where I live. The club house will hold up to 150 with full kitchen. Go to belmormhc.com to check out. Only $50 instead of $1700 for the cove. will need more help with food, drinks and decorations. Will have cash donations at the door.Bill Hamilton and I will not do mailing or fancy name tags. My favorite dates so far are June 8, 15, 29.

Tom Nixon

Gary, your suggestion to hold the reunion at Belmor Park is excellent. I'm sure there will be adequate parking and to allay some of Al's fears, I'd suggest the last date, June 29th, when all kids are out of school and is historically the best weather day of June in the Pacific Northwest (ok, the last part I made that up for Al). Cheers! Tom Nixon

Karen Buck (White)

Gary - You and Bill have done such a great job in the past of getting a fantastic reunion together for our class that I completely trust your judgement and appreciate your willingness to continue to help with this production.  I would be more than willing to help with whatever projects you may need help with and I am sure there are many others who would also be glad to donate their time, energy, ideas etc.  

Bill Engelhardt

We'll continue this discussion after a brief break.....

Carol Tucker (Schnorr)

I think Gary has come up with a great and cost effective location for our 65th reunion.  My brother in law graduated in 1973 and they are having their reunion at the Cove in Normandy Park and the cost per person is $75.  Al,  while hotel accomidations in July are costly their are many close and within a reasonable distance from the Federal Way location.  Thank you, Gary for taking on the task of keeping our class in contact with each other through this forum and for you and Bill for continuing to help in making the arrangements for class reunions.

Al Peffley

RIP Jimmy Buffett

Key West and the Florida beaches' night life scene (been there, done that) will never be the same without you, brother. Cheers to no more suffering, no more pain. Home is where your Father is.

Al Peffley

Here is an interesting and self explanatory article on electric vehicles (EV's) that I recently discovered on the Algora Blog channel:

https://www.algora.com/Algora_blog/2023/09/07/3-sinister-reasons-with-the-big-push-for-ev

Any interest, comments, or discussion?

We bought a German technology, 2012 turbo diesel injected car some years back. It gets 42-50 mpg and 10,000 miles per oil change to conserve on fuel and fluids consumption. It has allowed us to live more comfortably on a retirement income and also go on extended road trips to visit our family who live out of state. it does not use DEF. It has very low carbon emissions compared to our older cars and trucks that are gosoline-powered. It performs significantly better on the freeways and paved country roads than our other vehicles. I would have chosen a Toyota hybrid car but they carry less volume for about the same mileage range (the grandchildren are getting bigger and our siblings'/friends' are more back seat "flexibility"-challenged.) The diesel car also has a big trunk with a fold-down back seat. Traveling to our Eastern Oregon property in an EV would not be practical for our needs. Our Austrian mechanic's shop is located over in Joseph, Oregon. He performs all the tasks a dealership normally does plus he uses only European replacement parts. The car's computer software has never been modified or "tweeked", and it will never be altered as long as we own it. We purchased the diesel car in Portland and use a VW dealership in Beaverton for incidental repairs and recall maintenance using genuine German OEM parts. It is the best foreign import car that I have ever owned, and I have owned a lot of different performance vehicles and utility trucks, foreign and domestic. it is not a luxury model, so it is a lightweight sport sedan car with a manual 6-speed transmission. The automatic transmission models get lower mpg, different emission results, and lower performance.

Ed Hesner

Al Peffley

Ed,

I also have a 1997 Chevy truck that had factory-installed rectangular halogen headlight assemblies in a transition headlight system year. Bulb replacement required the whole grill to be removed to change out the separate headlight bulbs. I replaced the factory headlight assemblies with aftermarket assemblies when the headlight bulbs (that run constantly when the engine is on) burnt out. The compromise now in my truck is removing the failed Asian-made bulbs by removing the truck's batteries. I have a friend who owns a newer, high-end Jeep Cherokee that requires the grill to be removed to change a bulb ($125 cost at a Chrysler dealer the last time a Chinese-made bulb was changed!) Cars today are assembled in factories by robotics using preassembled subassenblies that are not always modular or fastened together by screws.

You are an engineer. This is just poor engineering with little or no consideration for long term use, ease of maintenance, or human-engineered accessabliity  features. The dealers want you to take your car into their Service Department for everything. The manufacturers want you to go to their dealers for all maintence tasks (no matter how simple) and buy a new car often. The Europeans are not that much different in their designed car features. Headlight assemblies are not installed with bezels and fastener screws. Bulb connectors are not mounted in easy to see and reach places, especially with front wheel drive vehicles. The older we get, it seems that the harder it is to use our hands and fingers in tight places, and especially with poor accessability features.

They all now think at the subassembly and not the part replacement level of maintenance tasks. Parts that are constantly used and replaced are no longer manufactured in the home country or factory. Government regulations and initiatives like Agenda 21 and 2030 yield designs that discourage private ownership of cars and trucks and the long term use of carbon based fuels. The plastics used to decrease weight and build disposable subassemblies are produced with carbon fuel biproduct chemicals! The WEF wants us to limit our travel and for us to not own our own personal vehicles. This globaltransportation policy and regulations impacts vehicle manufacture strategic sales planning and design of future individual vehicle use products that is counter to peoples' cultural habits, mobility, and individual freedoms. Yes, as we get older and further into the war with the WEF and Climate Change cult we will need to ask more maintenace and functional operation questions if we buy a new vehicle. The Reset and Green New Deal goals are to discourage you from owning a private vehicle and only using public transportation in a Mega City culture (where we will own nothing and be happy.)

Thanks for the adult discussion about your real-world vehicle experiences. Everthing we discussed won't go away with an all electric, computer-contolled vehicle...no matter what the government regulations are or who makes the vehicle. Chevy EV's have not been a success. Notice that all of our isuues we discussed involve electrical and/or plastic parts assembly/failure. Have a great week, buddy.

Bill Engelhardt

Taken the night before 9/11.......

Al Peffley

September 11, 2001

I was attending a Future Combat Systems Review Meeting at Boeing facilities in Anaheim, CA, with US Army Program Office personnel from Michigan and Army Headquarters' Flag Officers directly reporting to General Jack Keane. (ref.:https://generaljackkeane.com/   We watched in a manager's office next to the meeting room live videos of both towers being attacked with the hijacked commercial airlines' planes. It was the asymmetric attack that we were planning the transformation of the DoD's Armed Forces to respond to after such unconventional, fifth generation warfare attacks. It was surreal to watch the NYC attack live on TV. I will never forget seeing the Trade Towers just like Bill's photo shows before the attack on another business trip for the same program. I will never forget the non-stop drive with three fellow Boeng employees (except for fueling and eating) from Southern California back to SEATAC on deserted roadways and past blocked and closed airports along the way. The only aircraft flying that day after the attacks were armed military aircraft. Later on a business trip I would view up close the damage to the Pentagon surrounded by surface-to-air Army mobile launchers with armed stinger missiles while they cleared the debris. I can assure you from witnessing the attack sites and reviewing the after official action reports that it was all real and not graphically-created like some conspiracy theorists have promoted. The following anthrax mailing events and Beltway sniper attacks were also very real.

The day that we lost many of our Constituional freedoms for "public safety" reasons (which are still leveraged by some state leaders today.) Fear and resultant [dictated] public safety "proclamations" (recent NM Governor AND WA Legislative actions) often destroy liberty and "God-given" rights that are clearly described in both state and federal constitutions of our Republic. We are not a "Democracy"; we are a "Republic".

Please pray for the surviving family members and first responders who were exposed to toxins at the 9/11 attack sites. Like follow-on tremors to a devastating earthquake, the follow-on attacks of terrorism on the east coast were also destructive to your individual freedoms. Honor those who responded to the call of defending your right to be free in the face of planned terrorism acts, death, and lethal attacks on our nation. The Covid-19 bioweapon release and recent Infratructure attacks are just a continuation of the same evil. Do not let the evil ones win or divide us. Never surrender your rights for fabricated emergency safety reasons. The truth shall keep you free men and women. God bless you.

Bill Engelhardt

Night falls on Manhattan....

Bill Engelhardt

A trip to nostalgia now and then is good for the spirit...

Ronald Goodmansen

Thanks Bill, that put a smile on our faces and a few laughs.

Bill Engelhardt

News that didn't make the news....