C L A S S
◆
Al Vanderzanden ’65: King of the Tractor Pull The tractor pull, says Al Vanderzanden cheerfully, “goes back to the days of one farmer saying to another, ‘I bet my John Deere could out-pull your Case;” and Al should know — thirty years ago he invented the mechanical ‘sled’ that today is the key to competitive (and often hilarious) tractor pulls. The sled is basically a very large weight transfer system; a large weight starts out directly over the sled’s rear axle, allowing for it to roll easily on its wheels. As the sled is pulled forward by the tractor, however, the weight is moved steadily to a skid pan at the front, generating the necessary friction to eventually stop the pull. Initially he built this first sled for fun, to “see if he could do it,” like many of his engineering projects. But the demand for a mechanical sled was such that Northwest Pulling Sleds was born, Al began to finetune the design, and eventually the sleds gained onboard computer systems to measure the precise distance they had been towed. Vanderzanden has also built tractors (there are two at his house, one with twin Chevy 427 engines, generating 1200 horsepower, and the other with a 1940 Allison aircraft V12 engine, the engine found in old B-1 bombers, generating a whopping 2,000 horsepower), and endless numbers of other inventions, but it is the Vanderzanden sled that makes him a famous man in America from April through September, the tractor-pull season. —Peter Soisson watching on a black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) frame like a swing set with suspended bird feeders and suet feeders and plants. The local deer eat the critter food, they have little fear until we are almost upon them. Burpee has a calendula plant which works as a deer repellant for our tulips and apple trees—deer like the taste of those too. We are an hour north of Seattle and the same to Canada. The Skagit Tulip Festival is what we enjoy up here. I’m also enjoying Facebook, where I can connect with my distant cousins in Finland and Sweden in real time on the Internet. Those of
us who do not post our birth year, since I'm still working, skew the numbers to suggest everyone who uses Facebook is under 40.” Thank Phyllis, and good luck in your battle with hungry deer. Prayers, please, for Diana Allen, on the loss of her husband, Jack H. Allen, on July 22, 2010.
’65 KEITH TAKES A GUESS Keith Schray would like to take a crack at guessing the identity of our autumn 2010 mystery faculty member. He writes: “Well it looks like I imagine Dr. Wack would have looked in college. My wife, Jeanne Maher
N O T E S Schray, and I took two physics courses from him and if it is him he must be up in his nineties. We’re already old ourselves! Congratulations to him. He was a very kind man and I remember him and his class for two reasons. One is the humbling experience of being unable to understand Maxwell's laws though I tried mightily. The other is that Jeane and I solidified our budding relationship working on physics II lab reports down in the library of the science building—the first time either of us got something done so far ahead of time. I went on to become a professor in chemistry at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and Jeanne went on to be the mother of our nine children.” Thanks Keith, you hit the nail on the head. Bob Yeend writes: “One of the most memorable teachers I’ve ever had, Dr. Paul Wack, remains my image of physics at UP. His knowledge of physics and concern for students was evident in every class I had with him. Let him know that, having retired from the Marine Corps some 20 years ago, I am now teaching physics at a Catholic high school in Napa, California. He may find that a bit of a shock!” Bob, we surmise, is referring to our autumn 2010 mystery faculty photo, which is indeed Dr. Paul Wack. Portland archbishop John Vlazny ordained Craig Casey and three others as permanent deacons on Saturday, November 6, at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. Deacons are ordained to be a sacramental sign in the church and in the world. and can proclaim the gospel at Mass, preach, and teach in the name of the church. Their sacramental ministry includes baptizing, conducting prayer services, serving as an official church witness to marriage and conducting funerals and wake services. Congratulations, Craig, sounds like a perfect fit.
’67 RANDY’S UPDATE Randy Lowe has been appointed chairman of the board of the Golden Rainbow CenterSAGE-Palm Springs, a community center for lesbian, gay, and bisexual seniors in the Palm Springs area. The Center provides food for the needy, counseling, social activities, and legal advice to seniors, especially those on fixed incomes. We heard recently from Suzanne Montgomery, who writes: “Since last being in touch,my father, Thomas B. Montgomery, has died as of
Portland 40
this past May. I now live in New Bern, NC; my e-mail is suzannemontgomery86@yah oo.com. As to future plans, I hope to relocate back to Portland in the summer. Best to everyone on the Bluff. Go Pilots!” Thanks for the note, Suzanne, and our prayers and condolences on your loss.
’68 SAD NEWS Prayers are in order for Robert Crater and his family, who mourn the loss of his wife, Kathleen Ann Crater. She passed away on September 17, 2010, in Portland, Ore. Survivors include Robert and their children, Annie and Nathan; parents, Doris and Thomas Snodgrass; sisters, Sherry, Marylee, and Suzanne; and brother, Patrick. Our prayers and condolences.
’69 REMEMBER CHARLOTTE Prayers, please, for Terry Pollreisz and his family on the loss of Terry’s mother, Charlotte Mae (Clapper) Pollreisz, who passed away on January 14, 2011. Survivors also include daughters Sharon McLarty and Karon Allen. Our prayers and condolences.
’70 MAKING MUSIC Beth Donnelly Feller has an extensive executive background of more than 20 years in the advertising, marketing, and communications industry, and is now president of Jeremiah Productions, a concert and music firm based in Tualatin, Oregon. Beth has help from her husband Doug Feller and their son, Jeremy Feller. Beth is also an accomplished singer known for her versatile interpretations of opera, jazz, and gospel music, and she regularly performs concerts with her husband. For more information, see their webpage at www.jeremiahproductions.com. Terryl M. Asla has been named the winner of the Doctoral Paper Award for 2008-2009 by Charles Sturt University, AU, where he is currently completing his doctorate in information studies. The paper, which he co-authored with Dr. Kirsty Williamson, “Information behavior of people in the fourth age: Implications for the conceptualization of information literacy,” appeared the peerreviewed journal, Library and Information Science Research, in 2009.
’71 PRAYERS, PLEASE Mary Lou Kurt passed away on August 31, 2010, according to a letter we received from her