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Robert Cole

Hey Michelle and fellow Cub fans!

Hope you're all having a good time out in AZ.  Go Cubs!
My wife and I are thinking about making the trip in 2021.  Some good friends just retired to Sun City.  When the Bicentennials go, how long do you usually stay?  What goes on?  We'd make more of a trip out of it.  Do the LTHS thing.  See some Cubbies.  Visit our friends.  So, what does this trip look like for most of you?  Lisa is actually pretty excited about it right now!

Michelle Milkovic (Weiner)

This year, Bicentennials and their significant others were the largest group at the game, numbering 12. Georgette Rath, Arnie Smith, Wally Bituat and Milan Norum represented the state of AZ while the Janet & Pete Ingraffia, June & Steve Yamasaki and I travelled from IL. We continue to have about 100 participate in the game and our youngest attendees were four very charming young men from 2012, while Jack Leese '49 coninues to serve as our elder statesman. A six-decade span!

The last 2 years, we've spent most of the day at Sloan and then the 76ers meet up for a post-event cocktail and cool-down.  Folks spend a range of days there and do all kinds of things from golf, to museum, to dining or just chilling out at the pool.  Most people from out of town catch a second game on either side of the LTAA event.  There's lots to do and explore so I would recommend at least 4 days for a virgin like you.  :)  But I'll let the others chime in.  I wish I had stayed one day more to recover from the game day extravaganza.  Somebody has a picture of all of us together but I can't find it.  Anyone???  Maybe Joanna took it?  We will find.  

Georgette Mihalko (Rath)

We had a great time as always!! Michelle and Joanne out did themselves. I wish more of the Alums would attend. Can't wait to get together with you all next year! Go Lane!!

Michelle Milkovic (Weiner)

Here's the whole Bicentennial group!

June K Hori (Yamasaki)

It  was our first time out there, and we had so much fun! Just got back home last night, and we are already talking about returning next year. Thank you, MIchelle and Joanne for putting this together. Really enjoyed meeting up with all of you. Lots to see and do in the area. The Musical Instrument Museum is definitely worth a visit, and highly recommended.

Ken Ortiz

Hello all,

I just wanted to chime in on these trying times and wish you all to be safe and to hang in there. So far, nobody in my various circles of family and friends have caught the virus and I am working to get in touch with others. But some family and friends will be enduring some hardships as most will be forced to be at home for awhile. I am hoping you all will also chime in and let the rest of us know how you are all doing.

Gregory Calvimontes

Michelle Milkovic (Weiner)

Here is a great piece written, photographed and filmed by a 2016 alum, Colin Boyle. He is a wonderful, talented young man who finished his undergrad at Northwestern in 3 years and is now getting his masers while holding down multiple freelance jobs.  A real champion!

https://blockclubchicago.org/…/chicago-singalong-of-livin-…/

Deborah "Debbie" Tono

Hoping all stay safe, take precautions and stay healthy. Am sorry I missed the Spring Training game - looked like fun times were had by all! We're definitely not the teenagers we wish we were! Take care...

Deborah "Debbie" Tono

BTW - this is Irene Oki-Ryniak & myself last year in Houston. Besides Kathy Manos, we work for United Airlines as well! Kathy at ORD, Irene at IAH (Houston) & me at DEN. So if you're passing through any of these hubs, give us a holler!!!

Robert Cole

Thanks everyone for the great info and pictures from the Bicentennial trip to Cube Spring Training.  I've wanted to go for a while.  I might be just a little past the Cubs Fantasy Camp!  But, my wife is also excited about coming out next spring!  We have friends out there so we can make a real trip out of it.  If I get my way... there'll b some time on the Vegas strip, too!

See y'all next year!

Robert Cole

And, Healthy Good Wishes from Indianapolis to all my Bicentennial friends out there, too.

We're managing to stay healthy here.  My wife & I both work from home, anyway.  So, the switch was no big deal for us.  We're just all hunkered down for the long haul.  My daughter is a 4th grade teacher and they're shut down at least until May 1.  I suspect they may shut down for the rest of the school year.  So, she gets to sleep in and relax!  My son lives in Chicago with his girlfriend.  Their firm hase sent them all home.  So, they get to "shelter-in-place" in a tiny, one-bedroom Lakeview apartment.  A real "relationship builder!"

My big concern is... THE INDIANAPOLIS 500!  I suspect we won't hold a race this year.  Even by the end of May, it just might not be a good idea to get 200,000 fans together in one place.  Kind of defeats the idea of "social distancing!"  And, that's just a typical race.  On a good day the 500 can get around 350,000.  This'll be the first Indy 500 I've missed in maybe 35 years.

Last weekend, how many of you saw what ESPN2 did?  They converted for the entire weekend to "ESPN8 - The Ocho" and ran the kind of sports cable TV is good for!  Stone Skipping, Hamburger Eating, Brat Eating, Marble Racing and Video Gaming.  Some guy won $30,000 for a longest drive contest in video golf!  And, of course, the college championship slippery stair contest.  College students trying to climb a flight of greased up stairs.  Tell me there wan't a lot of drinking going on there!  No... THIS is what I get cable TV for!

This may be an Indiana thing, speaking of sports, drinking and gambling.  But, I used to have a friend that was a pilot and owned a Cessna.  He used to fly us up to Ft. Wayne for the crab races at a bar called Sonny's.  Fly to Ft. Wayne just to gamble on hermit crabs.  March Madness, eat your heart out!

Stay well.  Elbow bumps to everyone!

Andrew Flor

Bob, Don't forget about the Weiner Dog Races during The Rathskeller Oktoberfest in Indy! Good times! https://rathskeller.com/

Robert Cole

Andrew...

I used to go to the beer garden at the Rathskeller all the time.  Good friends with a guy who went by "Polka Boy."  His "alternative" polka band played there lots.  Sort of like Weird Al... but set to polka!

Never been to the Weiner Dog races, though.  I'll have to get there!
Beer & Cigars!

Michelle Milkovic (Weiner)

Hey have you guys seen this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cccaFGaeCc#action=share

Happy Hunkering!

Ken Ortiz

Michelle (and the rest of our class),

That video was really something, seeing downtown Chicago so empty. Especially those overhead views. Even though I am now hunkering at home now, I still get to walk around our downtown Kenosha area. There are lots of places closed in the area (besides places doing take out, curbside service, especially Beer to go because that is still an "essential service" up here, etc), but there are still some people who take advantage of our lakefront area to walk/jog/bike/dog walk, etc. Here are a couple of pictures I took from the area that I thought interesting.

1) Bars are closed, but they still want to discourage break-ins:

Then there was the Abraham Lincoln statue at Library Park (down the street from me). Someone put a mask on him. I am wondering if that will be our new normal.:

So take it from "Honest Abe" - Everybody be safe out there and please hang in there!

Michelle Milkovic (Weiner)

HEY LADIES!  LAST CALL for anyone wanting to participate in the planning committee for next year's 50th anniversary of Lane admitting female students.  If you are interested in participating, send me an email at michellemweiner@gmail.com. 

Maja Wiesinger (Ramirez)

I just learned that rasps are right AND left-handed. I'm sure when MOI was in woodshop they didn't offer any leftie hand tools, but... anyone know different?!

Thanks!

Per C Pearson

Being right handed I never thought about it. I went to my shop and tried a few tools in both hands. With a few exceptions (Remember micrometers in machine shop?) they fit either way. Pinball machines fire the ball on the right side, vending machines take money on the right side. I think we design it that way without thinking about it.

Janet Peterson (Ingraffia)

Ok, I have to speak up for the lefties! In the generation before us, lefties were forced to use their right hands, whether they liked it or not. Fortunately by the time our generation came along, that wasn't the case. Since we live in a mostly right-handed world, we have learned to adjust...to most things. There are some things made especially for lefties, such as scissors etc, but they have to be special ordered. There is one thing growing up that I absolutely hated though. Those right-handed desks. A lefty was forced to reach over their body, with their paper down sideways. My papers were messy at best. Luckily those desks weren't in most of my classrooms! 

Robert Hashimoto

Sorry to report the passing of a classmate: John Nakawatase

I did not see an obituary, but saw this closed GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/john-nakawatase-memorial-fund

Michelle Milkovic (Weiner)

Thanks for sharing Bob.  This makes me super sad, but so grateful that I got to spend some quality time catching up with John and his wife at our reunion.  They also have a son on the autism spectrum and we had a great conversation not just reminiscing but comparing notes. 

I couldn't find an obituary.  If anyone learns anything more, please give us a shout.  John always had a smile on his face, frequently illegal, but absolutely charming. I always loved the picture of him bowling in our yearbook. RIP friend.

Ken Ortiz

Bob,

That is so sad to hear. I got a chance to catch up with John at the reunion school tour. He will be missed as he was part of our memorable varsity bowling team in our junior year. RIP John.

Michelle Milkovic (Weiner)

Turns out after recent lung surgery, John died from Covid-19 and his mother did the same 4 days later.  The link below is a Tribune story documenting Chicago-area families who have lost multiple members. It includes a lovely tribute to him.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-families-multiple-victims-20200424-yaa3oquif5gopfhusbypcuvzem-story.html

Milan Norum

 So sad to hear about John. We didn't stay in contact after graduation but I do remember laughing a lot with him in school. If you look at page 200 in the 1976 yearbook I believe that's him at the bottom of the page showing off his classic bowling form. At least that's what he told me. Always smiling.