Our classmate Peter Zierden has provided valuable information for any of our Vietnam veterans. In his dealing with the VA he found that their are compensatory programs for any vet that has health issues related to Agent Orange. We have added a tab under veterans with the specific information Peter would like to share. You can find it on our website by clicking here.

Everything takes soooo long!!!   I’ve been told this is “normal”.  I wouldn’t know as this is my first (and my last) book.

I’ve been working with Covenant Books since last December.  The final step before actual publishing was approval of the cover designs.  I just signed off on them (well, I should have signed off, after all, I designed them).  It just took them a month to copy them!  Sheesh.  I’ve also attached the books first right hand page which I wrote to describe the premise (okay, and to sell it a bit).

The next steps will be printing for stores, digitizing for on-line purchase, creation of a “RAMBLINGS” web site, distribution, and finally, promotion, advertising and marketing.  Based on the pace of things thus far, I suspect that it will be two more months before it is in stores and on-line.  I sure hope that it is sooner… I ain’t getting any younger.

Loved the pictures of our classmates who played golf and had a nice time at George’s place.  I lived on Forest Lake for 16 years and still miss it.  I used to bump into George at a place called Willow Point Resort.  Back then it was a bar/restaurant/convenience store.  Long gone!  Great memories.

RAMBLINGS – first right hand page in book

There are 135 interconnected short stories in this book.  Some are hilarious, some quite serious, many are great fun and upbeat while others are really sad.  Your emotions will go up and down like a roller coaster, but in the process, that ride will be well worth it as you will be thoroughly entertained. 

There are tales of childhood mischief, adventure, hot rods, romance, suspense, parenting, business advice, the newspaper industry, history, heartbreak, a puppy and even slot machines! 

Most of the stories occur in and around Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, Birmingham, Alabama and Omaha, Nebraska.  If you are familiar with any of these cities, you’ll instantly recognize the locales mentioned. 

Interestingly, each and every name in this book is real with one exception, and that one was changed due to a most unsavory deed perpetrated by that individual.  That story will make your blood boil. 

Buckle up for a crazy Baby Boomer ride.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but most of all, you’ll fall in love with RAMBLINGS.

Tom Golden

Hello all,

Could not have been a nicer day weather wise than today at classmate George Bonfe’s house on Forest Lake for the class of 63 lunch at the lake.

Had about 15 guys including two men from—–STMA class of 63—Larry Poppler and Tom Healy. Tom and Larry brought the beer—GOOD ASS BEER. Zoom in on the photo of Joe M McGrath and you’ll see that is really the name. The guys said it was very good. Thanks Larry and Joe. Larry also brought homemade baked beans—best I have ever tasted.

Classmate Tom Racine help get the food prepared and it was all terrific. Burgers, brats, a whole deep fried turkey, salads, cheeses and desserts.

George’s granddaughter and daughter helped put things together.

George —-thank you for sharing your home and putting this on, it is very much appreciated by all.

Next class luncheon is on September 12. Check the Upcoming Events calendar for details.

Tom Troskey

(Click on any photo to enlarge it…)

Hey everyone,

What a wonderful day we had yesterday for the 6^th annual class of 63 annual golf outing. As many of you recall this event is called THE CHARLIE in memory of our classmate Charlie Schuldt who started the event in 2014. Charlie passed away just a few weeks after the event in Sept of 2016. Our classmate Dave Britz took over organizing after Charlie’s passing and with the help of Charlie’s wife Mary has kept it alive and well.

This year the event was held at River Oaks Golf Club in Cottage Grove MN. The first 5 years it was held at Charlie’s course in Elk River MN.

As we played the course and settled into the 19^th hole the conversation often drifted to stories involving Charlie. We all remember him fondly.

The course was in terrific shape, the weather could not have been better and as you will see in the attachments the scores were pretty good. We played a “Britz”scramble and each team shot better than our age—less than 73.

The guys that played were Jim McCormick (pictured in the sand trap) Gary Stoffel, Jim Dimond, Dave Britz, Bob O’Malley (flew in from Phoenix where it was 115 degrees) and enjoyed the cool weather, Joe Schufman, Ed Sund, Ray DiPrima, Don Danneker, Tim Valento, Pat McDonnell, Dick Butler (sank a 60′ putt), Tom Troskey.  We hope to get 20 guys next year so keep your calendar open for the Wednesday before the second Thursday in August 2020.

Great fun and hope to do this gathering for years to come.

Tom Troskey

(Click on any photo below to enlarge…)

To see a video of the presentation ceremony click here

We received the following note from our classmate Bill Jack who has published a half-dozen books…… Hey, y’all (I’m allowed to write that because I lived in Texas for six years) – My author’s Page on Amazon (click here) leads to my published books.  Warning:  When a new edition comes out with a different title, Amazon won’t remove the old editions.  The most recent version of any book is the one that appears higher on the list.  A quick “Look Inside” will tell you when you’re looking at a similar work…You wouldn’t want to be bored twice by the same story, right? Maybe you want to include this link on the class website.  It’s a truly great site, by the way.  Fellow Luker Joe Schufman did a great job of it.  I hope people come up with some great photos from those years.  My place burnt down in Dallas in 1980, so I lost my yearbooks and photos.  Regards to all, Bill

Jim Hannegan , Cretin Class of ’65 sent us this comment via the “Contact Us” page –   
Just spent a couple hours going through your 50th Anniversary Book and the site. Looks Good

Occasionally we will post a cartoon that appeared in The Comment during our four years at the school. I am sure you will recognize the artists.

Here is one from Jim Szalapski…

Our classmate Tom Golden has a book coming out through Covenant Book Publishing (North Carolina) in the next couple of months called “RAMBLINGS” (in print as well as available digitally on Apple, Itunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.). It’s a memoir and includes a lot of Twin Cities area stories (plus 67 photographs) including –

• childhood memories of growing up in Como Park
• how he got hired when 20 years old at the Dispatch-Pioneer Press and worked his way up to VP/Director of Advertising
• acting as the general contractor building a house on Forest Lake with Ted Krammer as a neighbor
• raising 3 sons who had their very own lighted hockey rink right outside his front door
• being recruited by the Birmingham News and then by the Omaha World-Herald
• plus lots of funny stories and crazy adventures (including two marriages and two divorces).

He is currently waiting for two page corrections to be completed.  Once done (hopefully yet this week),  the only things that remain are the cover designs.  I’ve attached one cover design idea he has, but Tom has not yet settled on a photo or even the sub-title yet.  The publisher will help him do those things.

The publisher will also create a web site for Tom which promotes the book including information on how to get it. 

J.S.