Driving 100

Can't say I have been that fast often, but one time, in the Grand Prix I had purchased from my sister, I was challenged to see if I could do 100.  This is the first car I had ever owned.  It was while driving to Blackfoot for my field placement at the State Hospital there.  I traveled with Blair Gardner and Mary Ellen Spackman.  Blair challenged me, "Can this thing do a 100?"  So we got off the freeway after Pocatello, and found some back roads on which to try out the Grand Prix.  It hit 100.  However the springs were so loss it didn't do so safely.  The car was really bouncing.  Scared me enough that I slowed down as quickly as we hit 100.

That car, likely because of the springs, had a bad habit of hitting the differential case on the bottom, which would push the casing into the differential and it would make a terrible noise.  I had to get it fixed a few times, once in the garage and once a friend of Weldon's in Tintic.

First Year for Bridgerland Youth Soccer: 1976

With who as many people who play soccer now, it is hard to believe  this was not always the case.  My brothers and I did not play soccer growing up, but I was coaching it as a young man.  The article from the Hyrum Crusader does not name me, but if Weldon was doing something, I was doing something.  When Peter Banks moved to our community, he took the initiative to get soccer started, and Weldon was a key part of this.  We practiced at the baseball diamond at South Cache Junior High School.  This was my first introduction to soccer, other than seeing it on t.v.  It was just before I left on my mission.

November 26, 1976: First Year for Bridgerland Youth Soccer
The American Youth Soccer Organization has been introduced to Cache County.
Peter Banks has headed the Bridgerland Youth Soccer, region 131 of the AYSO.  This has been its first year in Cache County.  225 boys and girls played soccer this year.
Teams practiced at least once a week with games on Saturday at Logan Jr. High.  AYSO's motto is "Everybody Plays".
Hyrum based teams did well and earned first place honors in each of three divisions.  In division I (eight and nine year olds) the Hyrum team Sharks took first.  Playing for the Sharks were: Steve Banks, Kamran Preece, Truman Preece, David Bailey, David Wengreen, Mark Wengreen, Craig Jorgensen, Ryan Brown, Burke Reeder, Joey Maloey, Kurt Johnson and Robi Shelley.  Coaches were Weldon Wardle and Leland Preece.
The Eagles, another Hyrum based team, took first in division II (ten to twelve year olds).  Members of that team were: Mike Banks, Alex Bell, Randy Funk, Kenneth Gordon, Tim Harrison, Bret Johnson, Chris Johnson, Kenny Johnson, Scot Jorgensen, Jeff Loosli, David Preece, Ryan Reeder, Craig Whitaker, Todd Windlow and Rick Wood.  Coaches were Peter Banks and Tor Wedde.
Division III (13 and 14 year olds) saw the Dynamos, a Hyrum, Providence and Nibley team, take first.  Players were: Doug White, Corey Smith, Leonard Barton, Chris Checketts, Todd Larsen, Cory Shaffer, Eric Bell, Dewilton Binggeli, Aleck Johnson, Kenneth Campbell, Scot Johnson, Thor Dyson, Robert Johnson, Kevin Banks, Mario Wilson and Dwane Hansen.  Their coach was Larry Sanchez.

Hyrum T Ball revisited

This is the T Ball article as it appeared in the Hyrum Crusader.  It had some pictures that were not in the previous post.

You can link the other pictures I took here.
http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/10/t-ball-in-hyrum.html

T Ball in Hyrum

These pictures are from the first T-Ball league in Hyrum.  Please let me know if you recognize anyone.  I think this is 1976.  My brother, Weldon, put the league together as part of his duties running Little League. We didn't play on the dirt infield, but set up bases in the outfield.

Wade Olsen

Clyde Buff Jr. in front of the line

Kody Johnson is the coach helper

Cody Nielsen: neighbor, murderer

http://news.hjnews.com/article_e27397a9-54ea-5f88-a1aa-aff4803230f4.html

http://news.hjnews.com/news/article_64d0bc1a-29c0-11e0-9d28-001cc4c03286.html

Cody Nielsen and his family lived on our block when I was a bit older, this would have been Hyrum fourth and second wards.  They lived there after I came home off my mission, and probably before I left.  I remember him attending church with his mother and sister.  He was always a very active boy, probably ten years younger than me. I think my older brother, who was always more outgoing and compassionate than I had more contact with the family.  I must admit, my daily path did not cross with the Nielsen family, but I always felt for his mother.  When I saw the family at church it seemed she was over worked as Cody was a pretty active boy.

My Baptism

Hyrum Third Ward from "Home in the Hills of Bridgerland"

I attended a baptism of a girl today with my wife who is the Primary President.  It took me back to memories of my own baptism.  I was baptized in the old Hyrum stake center, third ward building.  My calculation says it would have been September 4, 1965.  As is customary in our church, I would have just turned eight.

Back in those days there were three wards in Hyrum.  The only one of the church buildings still standing is Hyrum First Ward.  I lived in Hyrum Second Ward.  All of the South part of Cache Valley was one stake, including Wellsville, Millville, Paradise, Nibley, Providence, River Heights, Mendon and Young and College Wards.

Hyrum Second Ward from "Home in the Hills of Bridgerland"

Hyrum First Ward

We started with a meeting in the chapel.  It was the only way to include everyone.  The font was in the basement.  I remember there was a big line.  So many children that I couldn't count them all.  My dad baptized me.  Most children were baptized by their fathers.  I remember one girl who was not, I think her name was Paula Christensen.  I remember she cried and cried, but they dunked her just the same.

But to be honest, I don't remember much about this day.

Historic Hyrum Elite Hall

http://newscafe.ansci.usu.edu/archive/oct99/1013_elite.html

Hyrum Elite Hall is an historic building, but it is still being used.  It was built in 1917 after the opera house on the same site burned down in 1915.  It was used for high school basketball games for South Cache High School, before they had their own gym (before my time.)  It also hosted other events such as wrestling.

The big draw was as the dance floor.  At one time the had weekly Saturday dances.  The floor bounce, because of the springs built under the floor.  My brother said one time he was able to get underneath the floor with someone and see the spring.

There was also a time when it was open Saturday morning for people to play basketball, or run around the balcony.  This was the main court for my Bantam Basketball playing days.  The Hall had large restrooms, men's and women's.  Above the restrooms, off of the balcony, was a classroom.  It was in this classroom that I took my hunter's safety.  I also attended an Emergency Preparedness seminar and learned how if the Russians missed nuking Hill Air Force Base by a little bit we were toast.

One year, for our May Day dance program from the elementary school, it was held there.  I think it was the back up place for bad weather.

While I was growing up, dancing wasn't as popular.  They stored the drum and equipment from a band in the display area as you entered the Hall.  Eventually the drum had a tear in it.  I understand dancing has come back, and saw an ad for dances two Saturdays a month with dance instruction who may need Swing Dancing instruction

Primary Class 1979

This is the primary class I taught after my mission in the Hyrum 2nd Ward.  It was a CTR Class as I remember making the CTR Shield and all that fun stuff.  "Choose the Right" was the message ar would all be bap theymost of the lessons.  I think this was the year they would all be baptized, or maybe the year after.  I should have kept better track, as I can't remember everyone's name.  But left to right:

Ellen Toone, I think she was our neighbor so I should remember.  Shauna Nelson, the bishop's daughter.  She played piano for me at Forrest's funeral (Krista's son) but I still can't remember her married name.  Shani Jensen,  Jamie Lauritzen, Tony Yeates, me, on my lap Adam Leatham, Adam Ward in back, and Brandt Harrison.  We had a fun time, although I must admit I wasn't always prepared as I might have been.  I did use group process with the kids which I was learning at the college in social work school.  We made a CTR Shield and a CTR box where I put a mirror and the kids could look in and see a Child of God.

So the favor I have to ask, is if you know these children and can help identify them better than I, it would be appreciated if you add a comment with the name, and what the child is doing now..

Randy Funk: Aggie Basketballer

Last night I was listening to the Aggie game on the Internet, KVNU radio. (Ain't the Internet great.)  Bracken Funk played for Fresno State.  They indicated he is Randy Funk's son, so I decided to tell my experience with Randy Funk.  Randy played basketball for Utah State, and made well over 50 percent of his shots.

My brothers, and I were involved in youth sports in Hyrum growing up.  We first played and then coached for many years.  We would organize the youth basketball, baseball and football.  There were three brothers who lived in Hyrum, Funk, who had many children who participated in sports.  Their sons were big boys.  Randy Funk was the son of Randall and Gerrie.  When I took a two year hiatus, to go on a mission to Argentina, Randy Funk still hadn't made a name for himself.

However when I returned, Randy Funk had really really sprouted.  He was then an 8th or 9th grader, and I was 21.  He played as much basketball as he could.  Anytime a gym was open, he would be there.  We would play church ball at South Cache Junior High School.  We would play games in the big gym.  One time while I was there I ran into Randy in the small gym.  He challenged me to a game.  I could tell he challenged almost anyone who came in the door.  I think he was probably 6'5" at the time.  However I liked my chances.  I could shoot well, and certainly some one that tall would lack coordination and I could out shoot him.

Man was I wrong.  I was totally embarrassed.  He played ball at a different level than me.  We played to 22, and I think I got six or eight points, and I had to work for those.

My only comfort is that he later played division one basketball for Utah State.  Otherwise I would have to live forever with the shame of being beaten by an eighth grader.

Hyrum Pony Baseball 1972

My Pony League Career in Hyrum lasted one year, for the most part.  Pony baseball was 13-15 year olds.  It also marked a change from 60-foot bases (Litle League) to 90-foot, regular baseball size.   When I was 13 I played, but did not see a lot of action.  I was overwhelmed with the older players, curve balls and the larger diamond.

l-r Mike Kerr, Doug Jensen, Ken Jensen, ?, ?, ?, ? Val Gunnel, Don Williams, Weldon

At this level of play, we were not an official "Pony" team.  It was a county league, and we would travel from town to town in Cache Valley and play the other cities.  Logan had their own league, and the county had their own league, which included the Cache Valley part of Idaho.  We practiced at the field by the Junior High School.  This was not the best field.  We would usually end up playing on softball fields, because most cities did not have official baseball fields in those days.  I can remember some of our games, playing in Wellsville, Providence and Franklin. 

When I was a 14-year old I became a regular player. We were coached by the Lundberg twins (I am thinking Clair and Blair, but I may be wrong.) I started in center field, and usually batted sixth.  We had a stacked team.  We had Doug Jensen, shortstop and Val Gunnel, catcher, both from Providence who played for us rather than their home city.  Later in the season we also recruited Jed Murray, pitcher and left field, and Mike Kerr, second base, from Wellsville. 

It was fun playing center field that year.  David Jensen, our primary pitcher had a cut fastball, almost a screwball with the distance it would curve.  Many batters would give up on the pitch, deciding it was outside, and then it would cut across the outside corner.  It was fun to watch.  Jed Murray was a traditional picture, with his curve breaking the other way.  We had other good players, Don Williams playing third and Monte Stevens playing first base.

I remember we were really excited to play Providence, and really wanted to beat them as two of our players were from Providence.  We did win.  At some point in the game there was a towering fly ball hit, which I caught up with and caught.  Coaches were happy for that, but I didn't think it was a big deal.

Monte Stevens, Ken Jensen, Mike Keer, Rick Stevens, Don Williams

The highlight of the season was the tournament in Soda Springs.  We were overwhelmed by a good team from Brigham City the first game, and fell into the consolation bracket.  I made an out that game trying to steal second.

The next game we were playing a team from Pocatello.  It was a close, low-scoring game.  I did a suicide squeeze, scoring someone from third base.  However as I approached first, instead of giving myself up easily, the first baseman was blocking the base path so I though I might be able to jar the ball loss.  However he side swiped me and I went rolling.  I broke my wrist as a result.  I was out of the game and in the hospital to get my arm set.  We did win the game. I remember a kid on the Pocatello side laughing at my tragedy.  This kid turned out to be my aunt's foster son as she lived in Pocatello.

l-r Weldon, Doug Jensen, me (cast) Val Gunnel, Dave Jensen, Jed Murray

Having beaten Pocatello we made it to the consolation championship game and won that final game.  I don't remember who we played.  Don Williams hit a couple of home runs for us.

David Jensen and Jed Murray lead our high school team a few ears later into the state championship tournament where we were second.  They also went on to both pitch minor league baseball.  Jed made it up to triple A ball.  David didn't go so far, as he accidentally shot himself in the foot deer hunting, and could never push off the way he had before and as a result lost some of the  zip on his  fast ball. 

The next year I chose not to play baseball in Hyrum.  Hyrum had a new coach, who was young, and I was worried that the conditions on the team would not be conducive to the lifestyle I was leading.  (I was worried there might be alcohol involved and did not want to risk it.)  Ken Jensen and I decided to play for a Logan team.  I went to one practice before they told me "no" as I wasn't a resident of Logan.  That practice was interesting.  The coach thought my ball from the outfield didn't have enough zip on it so he said to throw it at the shortstop's head.  I did, and somehow the shortstop missed the ball and in bonked him a  good one.  He had a big goose egg.

Hyrum Crusader

Hyrum Crusader

When I was just out of High School, I was caught up with the idea of doing whatever I could to make the community where I lived a better place.  Somehow I got the idea in my head that I was going to start a newspaper and report on local issues.  It would be a forum for me to express my opinions about the community where I had grown up, as well as have a few positive programs about the local sports programs.  This was important to me as my brothers and I had run the local youth sports programs for several years.

It was my intent to make this a monthly publication.  Of course you can’t make a monthly publication unless there is someone around to print the paper.  I approached Ken Downs form Downs Printing, which was the only printing office in Hyrum.  I got from him an idea of how much it would cost me to print a newspaper.  I am sure he gave me a really good deal.  Especially since he would have to do all thy type set.  I had a typewriter at home as my only tool (this was before the age of computers.)

With an idea of the cost, I then had to generate the revenue.  I didn’t want to sell the paper so it depended on advertising.  Hyrum Drug was my major advertiser.  My brother-in-law managed the drug store.  However, I approached the other businesses in Hyrum (there weren’t that many.)  I had made up sample sizes for ads and presented them to the other business owners.  The Scissor Wizard, where I cut my hair placed an ad as did Maud’s the local women’s clothing store.  I approached Anderson Lumber.  Over time I even had some business from Logan put ads in my paper.  This mostly was Impruvall Tire, which was located in Logan but was managed by someone from Hyrum.__________

And so was born the Hyrum Crusader.  The first issue was ______.  The last version was ________just before I went on my mission—so the paper lasted a little more than a year.   It was printed a paper that was better than newsprint.  It was larger than regular paper, with a fold in the middle making it effectively a four-page publication.

I covered stories from regular journalism to positive pieces.  I sometimes tried to do investigative reporting.  Some people complained about the noise of snow mobiles in town.  This was a relatively new mode of transportation and they were very loud.  I conducted a poll, trying to call people from different parts of the community.  I discovered this was only a problem for those along popular snow mobile routes. 

When the city allowed a contractor to pretty much bulldozer Camp Hollow, I ran an expose of that.  When I was young we went on a field trip to Camp Hollow, and it was a special place.  Camp Hollow was the place where we were told Hyrum was originally founded.  The first winter, settlers had built dugouts in the side of a hill trying to stay out of the cold.  The next summer the actual town of Hyrum developed a few blocks away.  Camp Hollow was covered over, and the plaque that designated the place was moved to a park, making way for residential development. 

I covered local politics from time to time, writing about City Council meetings. 

I would also do photo layouts such as a photographic essay of the t-ballers—they were cute. 

I also was the newspaper boy.  I tried to deliver a copy to every home in Hyrum.   I don’t think that was really all that many copies as Hyrum was not a very large community, less than 4000 with some 1000 households.

I printed the Hyrum Crusader with no journalistic experience.  However it did motivate me to want to be a journalist, and so when I returned from my mission I studied journalism for about a year.  During that time I had some stories printed in the Utah Statesman, the Utah State University newspaper.  I also did some work for the Cache Citizen, a new weekly paper in Cache Valley.  (I covered the Hyrum Fourth of July rodeo for them.)

My experiences with the Hyrum Crusader also lead me to another publication.  I put together a book of poetry from young contributors in Hyrum.  This included some artwork or animals by a friend of mine growing up who was good at art, Neil Frank.  It also included poems from friends I knew.  I got the idea form this based on a poetry book which was published by the high school every year.

Hyrum Crusader

Between the time I graduated from high school, and when I went on my mission, I published in Hyrum a city paper.  I had several ins that made me a good person to do this.  My brother and I had run the city recreation programs for several years.  I was also a curious sort of a person, and had friends who were willing to help.  I found a printer, Downs Printing, who were willing to print for a reduced fee.  I also new the owners of one of the businesses in Hyrum, and my brother-in-law helped manage so I had a source of advertising.

So I was up and running as a newspaper man who had no idea of what he was doing.  I went to every business in the community to ask if they would be willing to advertise.  There weren't that many as Hyrum was a small community, and dominated by, where most went to do shopping and business.  However in the end, we even had some advertising from Logan.

I didn't charge much to advertise.  I just wanted to break even rather than make a big profit.  I had  Hyrum Crusader account at the bank, and it had some money when I went on my mission, (a few dollars) but as the account went inactive the bank closed the account and took this little bit.
 We had fun.  We wrote stories about the local sports teams, Little League and Jr. High sports.  At that time there was no high school in Hyrum.  We did some investigative work.  One time I called a sample from town to ask people what they thought about the noise from snow mobiles in town.  I wrote a story when the city allowed the place recognized as the founding spot of Hyrum, to be destroyed by development.  They moved the plaque to a new park, but it was not the same.  I took pictures of the light poles for the lights at the new ball diamonds.  I even attended city counsel meetings and wrote articles about what was discussed.

Sherrie Nelson, a friend from Hyrum, was my co editor.  I also recruited family members to write for me.  My brother-in-law wrote Clyde's Corner, My sister Personality of the month.  There were also others who would provide articles.  Another friend, Sherrie McBride, wrote about the civic clubs.  Carol DeBolt was my agitator.  She was the parent of my friends, and a friend herself.  She would get me going on local politics.  Fortunately I didn't usually put in all she said, otherwise I would have been hated, but it was fun to have the frame of reference.

When I went on my mission, the little paper died, but I had a mission in life to come home and study journalism and go into the newspaper business, which is what I studied, until I decided I wanted to pursue a different career.