Those 70ish Girls

Jim Anderson ’63

At age 10, about 5th grade, I was the smallest, scrawniest boy in the class and may have volunteered for this event because I lived next to the Texico Station and had access to their pile of used tires.

Anyway, I’m at the starting line (in the area where the new school stands) with my tire. (I wonder if the rules said anything about tire size) and standing next to me is a giant by the name of Clifford Kinsley. This is the same guy who just a few days earlier got a big chuckle as his pet hog took a liking to me and who 70 years later loves telling anyone who will listen just how fast Jimmy Anderson got out of that hog yard and by how many feet he cleared the fence getting to safety. Could this be the same rally day where in the morning spelling competition I could not spell the word “above” correctly? My excuse to this day: maybe my hearing was already headed south at age 10, because I had never heard of that word! So, after spelling it “abofs” I was looking for any rock to crawl under. Now I was about to be humiliated a second time by someone I thought was my friend.

When we heard the word “GO” to start the “roll” Clifford planted his size 12 boot on his tire which sent it half way to the finish line, while I just stood there in awe at this flagrant violation of the rules. But the officials let the game continue and the big guy got the blue ribbon (I don’t recall if there were participation ribbons then) while I started looking for that rock.

Some 70 years later, Dr. Kinsley and I discussed this life altering event over coffee. He claims that he was not at the starting line next to me that day because he was a grade ahead of me. The more I think about it, that giant next to me was Paul Thomas who was in the same grade. Man, those country kids were big!!

Jo Anna Poppe Warder ’56

I am not sure of the year, but I think it was 1955 when the Auditorium was built adjacent to the high school. I was a junior then and my class raised enough money to buy the popcorn machine purchased the year of the opening. To raise funds my class members sold magazine subscriptions and Christmas cards and accepted monetary donations. I have been informed that the machine is still being used and is operative after 70 + years. It might have had a few parts replaced and retired, but is basically the same machine.