Date: Saturday, May 01, 1999 6:12 PM Subject: Encina Update (JPS/class84/siblings/figenshu/teachers/class67/alumni search/columbine/copycat/store/whats new) ENCINA ALUMNI, I was going to wait until next Thursday but it was getting toooo long. Just sitting here at work waiting for a job to finish... JPS.NET If you use JPS as your ISP, you may not be receiving all the Encina Updates. I am getting fatal errors for many of you who have jps email addresses. In the last mailing the following addresses had fatal errors: suzinjax@mail4.jps.net (Susan Patterson) mathisen@mail4.jps.net (Dennis Mathisen) rumbame@mail4.jps.net (Steve Mikesell) lzdybel@mail4.jps.net (Lauren Zdybel) magusbob@mail4.jps.net (Bob Goosmann) phedglin@mail4.jps.net (Paul Hedglin) curry@mail4.jps.net (Patty Sullivan) tazbabe@mail4.jps.net (Anne Mikesell) pwolf@mail4.jps.net (Polly Pickens) alexusfr@mail4.jps.net (Soames Funakoshi) miksea@mail4.jps.net (Linda Premock) Unlike the hotmail email problem, jps does not appear to be blocking all jps addresses. I have reported the problem to jps in case they have added me to their spam list. Please let me know if you have a jps address and receive this email. This will help me isolate the problem. CLASS OF 1984 I've heard from quite a few 84 alumni over the past month. Many are looking for news about a reunion but no one has taken the initiative to lead the effort so far. Lisa Wagner 84 wrote: If anyone from 84 is interested in planning our reunion please let them know I would be interested in helping. We did not have a 10 year reunion and it's getting pretty late to plan a 15 but I would help out if anyone has the time to organize it. If you are willing to help with the 84 reunion, please write Lisa Wagner at craneyk@eg-ardennet.com and help jumpstart the 84 reunion. SIBLINGS >From Herb Niederberger 77: Tony Niederberger 73 Helen Niederberger 76 Herb "Rocky" Niederberger 77 Joe Niederberger 79 Therese Niederberger 83 Plus nephews and nieces: Mike Pearson 91 John Pearson 92 Andy Pearson 94 Mary Ann Pearson 95 >From yearbooks the Shellooe family: Steven Shellooe 70 Rose Shellooe 71 Dan Shellooe 73 Tom Shellooe 75 Peter Shellooe 77 Toni Shellooe 79 Did I miss any before 1970? Kim Culver 76 wrote she is in contact with Julie Whitney 76: Paul Whitney 73 Julie Whitney 76 Sue Whitney 78 Steven Smith 89 wrote about his sister and the Martasians: Michelle Smith 85 Steven Smith 89 David Martasian 88 Rachel Martasian 89 Sarah Martasian 91 Laura Gray 79 wrote: Laura Gray 79 Tracy Gray 81 Becky Hudson 79 wrote: Leslie Hudson 76 Becky Hudson 79 FIGENSHU Encina registrar Jo Ann Smith wrote: "As for Jack Figenshu--He was one of my good buddies here. When he retired, he retired. His wife retired shortly after he did and they were going to be doing a lot of traveling. They had a deluxe motor home and belonged to a motor home club. Both he and his wife were doing a lot of volunteer work also. My mother-in-law saw them (Shirley and Jack) at the Jazz Festival a couple of years ago. They were all there as volunteers." Lorna Cline 72/73 sent me Mr Figenshu's phone number if anyone would like to try and contact him by phone. TEACHERS Jon Dahlberg 71 wrote: Randy Berry '71 had his first teaching job at Encina. Mr. Sando had been our counselor, and by that time had been promoted to Vice Principal. At our high school reunion, Randy tells of the story of his first day, walking into Mr. Sando's office, saluting, and stating "Randy Berry reporting for duty, sir!" He says that after that, he could do no wrong. CLASS OF 1967 Lora Jane Saunders 67 was good enough to send me the memory book for their 30th reunion in 1997. The following 67 alumni were in the memory book but were not on the mailing list Linda Goff 67 gave to me earlier: Joan Knapp Terry O'Neil Teri Powell Suzie Trimble In addition, the memory book had email addresses for: Marty Mearns Jan De Bacco Greg Grassi Charlene Jenkins Marilyn Peterson Gloria Schulze Greg Stover Chris Wicks When I have time I'll scan in the memory book and add it to the 67 homepage. ALUMNI SEARCH Anyone know the whereabouts of: 1976 Allison Corbin Rebecca King Lori Lake Tina Weis COLUMBINE Well, I seem to have stepped into a hornet's nest by expressing my view on the topic of gun control. Obviously a sensitive topic for some. Ken Gaugler 69 wrote: "Since when has this newsletter become your personal vehicle for expressing your personal opinions? I am not interested in your views on gun control, or your speculations about how many people might have been killed if... If you intend to continue this kind of writing in this newsletter, please remove me from the circulation list." In response I wrote: "You hurt me to the quick! Obviously gun control is one of those very touchy subjects which polarizes people. While I expressed my opinion, I fully intend to give time to opposing viewpoints. Many have written me expressing their opinions on gun control and while I don't always agree, I'm willing to listen. The next Update will contain some responses. I guess you just can't please everyone. I put a trememdous amount of work into the website and updates and even as I review what I wrote, I do not regret what I said. If you are unhappy, I will sadly remove you from the mailing list." to which Ken wrote: "I'm sorry if my comments hurt your feelings. That was not my intention. Perhaps I never fully understood the mission of the newsletter. When I see political and/or other non-Encina related items in the newsletter, it begins to resemble other SPAM that I try so hard to filter out of my email. I would appreciate it if you would remove me from the distribution list. I'm sure there is someone else from the class of '70 who would like to do any "webmastering" that comes up, too." I'm always sad when an alumni asks to be removed from the mailing list, especially someone like Ken, who's helped in the past with the Encina website. I certainly did not intend for the Encina Update to become a vehicle for expressing my personal opinions. And I'm sorry that people were offended. But it's hard to write without trying to add a little color and interest to the Update. To have the Update regarded as spam is very painful for me. I will endeavor to avoid editorializing in the future... I am very appreciate of those of you who have written in the past and expressed your appreciation for the Updates and website! Here are some other alumni viewpoints on gun control -- Eric Sudhoff 73 wrote: The sawed-of shotguns and the assault rifles are already illegal. Any automatic weapon is illegal, which I believe the pistols were. I don't think anyone is trying to justify the need for these types of weapons. I don't see how placing more gun ownership restrictions on the general, law abiding populace will change the behavior of criminals who don't pay attention to laws anyway. Furthermore, these guys where tinkering in bombmaking. Who knows how sophisticated they actually were in bombmaking and what they might have done if they didn't have access to guns. Few, if any, guns were involved in Oklahoma City. MHO. Lad Wentzel 76 wrote: It just goes back to the old addage that inanimate objects i.e.; guns, cars, fertilizer bombs, etc don't kill people, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE.. I think that if the government wasn't so busy trying to control and influence the masses, maybe the families would be more involved in raising their children. Instead we have accepted the lie that the schools (government) knows better than a caring parent or guardian. This stuff didn't happen as frequently years ago when our parents (or grand parents) were raising there families without all the many laws and regulations and gun control and welfare mentality and fear of child abuse for disciplining, etc.... Why don't we change the Name of this country to the United Socialist States of America? I am sure that the media will spend many prime time hours trying to figure out which social program failed in allowing these screwed up kids to massacre the fellow classmates. Its all about Class envy... Pardon the spelling as I wasn't able to receive the many blessings of the new age agenda. Blame the Government for my inability to write. Leo Naranjo 80 wrote: One small comment that I have is on the wording of "gun control" While it is true, the Japanese AND British have a stricter control...as do most European nations...it is ALSO true, these countries have NOT had much if any, experience in DEMOCRACY as we know it. Especially, the Japanse and German nations. Guns kill people, when people handle them. To say, you DON"T feel that children should have guns in their possesion, I can agree with. To say that ADULTS shouldn't have guns, I must disagree with. After serving in this nations Armed forces......I feel very familiar with certain weapons. Yes, there ARE some " gun types " that maybe, shouldn't be sold to the general public. Still, if it can be MADE, it can be sold. The all mighty dollar, has assured us of this. Also, just because JOE/JANE average citizen is restricted, does NOT mean, the criminal element WILL/WOULD be. Bad enough, that laws seem to be swinging in FAVOR of criminal rights, and AWAY from Citizens rights. You commit the crime, your "rights" should be on PAUSE.....but then again, it's only my opinion. A rather archaic comment made in the service would fit here...." Shoot first, sort it all out later. " Obviously, LOTS of military comments could/would NOT be very, POLITICALLY CORRECT here. However, for anyone that has SERVED, I think they know EXACTLY which phrases I'm referring too...... The matter of gun control will NOT go away, nor be fruitfully debated for many years to come. What happened in Colorado, could happen ANYWHERE. Do we, as a society, suddenly STOP life, EVERYTIME something WRONG happens, and we find a cause? If this were the case, then let's limit the following: Driving , Sports events, Hand guns, Drugs, bars, Television, Radio, News, Role playing games (aka, D&D ) , Chess, Checkers, Books or libraries, Hospitals, Subways........on and on and on...... The point is, it is the INDIVIDUAL ...that is the problem. We as a nation, need to get OFF this garbage of, " It's not his/her fault that they killed 100 people, it was the Violence on TV "..........This nation needs to get OFF it's " morale majority azz, and START taking what we like to preach to others so much, that being RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE's OWN ACTIONS. Unfortunately, our very own leaders don't exhibit that trait, so why should our citizens?? Ps........as for crime in other nations?? They have INTERESTING police policies in effect, that would have THIS nations ACLU personnel SWARMED with lawsuits. Simple example? Germany.........Officer informs you ONCE, to quiet down...( not like here, where WE all like to VENT to the police ) If, you are lucky, you may get a second warning. After that, it's two to five quick swipes with the baton. Then, a repeat of the statement, " Now, will you be quiet? " Police brutality?? Hardly, they have none there. They also RESPECT the Police authority there as well.... One needs to be careful for what they wish for at times, cause, if it comes true? They will soon be wishing for the way it WAS before.....however, it would be too late then. Chuck Dunning 72 wrote: Harlan, would it surprise you to know that there are far fewer guns on schools today than there were in the 70's? I guarantee that its true. I had a shotgun in my car every day when I was attending Encina. When I was teaching in southern Idaho (Melba HS) in the early 80's, I used to take my shotgun and shell vest into my classroom and put them in my closet. Five or six kids would come in and put their shotguns in the closet. After school, we would all go hunting. Now, we expel kids for bringing a knife wiuth a two inch blade. The world is upside down. Your comparison with Japan and England vis a vis gun laws is odious. The murder rate in those countries is miniscule with any weapon. Far fewer people in those countries are killed with knives, bottles, poison, or cricket bats than are killed in the US with these same weapons. If guns were the cause of murder, the murder rates with other weapons would be as high as ours. Countries like Finland and Switzerland, with higher per capita rates of gun ownership than the US, have even lower rates than Japan and England. Still, If you recall, Scotland had a school shooting with 25 victims- the strict gun laws didn't help much there. In Switzerland, by the way, the weapons every male between the ages of 18 and 65 are required to keep in their homes are real assault rifles, SIG 7.62 mm fully automatic assault rifles, along with a minimum of 200 rounds of ammunition. The Swiss had a fire sale recently- fully automatic 20 MM anti-aircraft cannons. They sold these to Swiss citizens! Israel has similar requirements. If guns made people into killers, the streets of Bern would be awash in blood. So-called assault weapons in the Unites States are nothing more than semi-automatic rifles and pistols. They have been around for a century. The much-feared TEC 9 is a cheap, poorly made gun. IT IS NOT A MACHINE PISTOL. IT IS A NOT FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPON. Sorry to shout, but iI get so angry when people who are totally ignorant about firearms get this stuff wrong! At least know what you are talking about. The "Assault Carbine" you mention was, I believe, a .30 M-1 carbine, WWII vintage. It shoots a low-powered pistol cartridge. It is far less dangerous than a shotgun, which appears were the weapons of choice for these punks. Would propane control, fertilizer control, or pipe control kept these kids from making bombs? I doubt it. Gun control laws have never kept weapons from those who would commit crimes. That is a fact and it is wearisome to me to have to point out the obvious. Guns are far harder to get now than they were in the past. You could order pistols through the mail prior to 1968. Just try to buy a pistol in New York or even San Franciso today. Let's at least keep our facts straight. States with liberal concealed weapons carry laws have far lower crime rates than states which make it illegal for honest citizens to carry guns. Strict gun control laws in Yugoslavia have made it possible for thugs to murder the citizens of Kosovo with impunity. Hitler was in favor of gun control, as was Stalin. The Jews in the Warsaw ghetto fought the Germans to a standstill for months with only a scattering of small arms. No weapons makes for a compliant citizenry- tyrants fear guns in the hands of the people. This is why we have a Second Amendment; the founders of this nation recognized that weapons in the hands of citizens were a hedge against tyranny. Jefferson said, "No free man may be disbarred from the use of arms." Reducing personal liberty has never resulted in greater safety for anyone. Schools are no safer now that we have adopted a "Guns are Evil" stance. Only people can be evil. To make schools safer, the first thing we have to do is humanize them by drastically reducing the size of classes and the size of schools. No kid should go to a school with 2000 orther kids. We are inviting kids to become alienated. We should absolutely require school uniforms. The same liberal jackasses who want to take away my guns usually view school uniforms as horrible intrusions on their freedom. The "Trenchcoat Mafia" could not exist without the trenchcoats, could it? Gangs and cliques could not display their colors. Kids could not be discriminated against because they could not afford the Nikes nor victimized because they could. Don't underestimate the importance of this. I think the uniforms in Japan and England have more to do with school safety than access to guns. We need to start boycotting the movies and music that glorify hatred and violence. Marilyn Manson had a lot more to do with this crime than the NRA. Sorry to go off at you, Harlan, but I get really tired of hearing about guns causing crime. I am a teacher, and I am a lot closer to this than you are. We need to hold PEOPLE accountable for their evil acts, not the things they use to carry them out. Rett Smart 73 wrote: I have spent a lot of time thinking of the tragedy. A lot of people blame the media, video games, ability to access guns, even Howard Stern as contributing factors to the crime. Anytime a crime of this magnitude occurs, the knee jerk reaction is to cry censorship and take away the guns. Colorado has a bill pending that would allow LICENSED citizens to carry a concealed weapons. If the law were in place, there is a good chance that the two students who were obviously unstable, would have been stopped by a teacher who was armed with a concealed weapon. Take away the guns, and unstable minds will still find a way to make an impact with the pipe bombs they manufactured or the propane bomb that could have leveled the school. An intelligent but sick mind will find a way to do damage. There have been gun incidents sporadically but they are isolated incidents. You cannot take away the rights of the majority due to the actions of a sick few. If anything should be done, the laws should be stiffer for those who use a gun in a crime. MAJOR TIME FOR THE FIRST TIME. Put them away, end of story. THE REAL CAUSE IS A DAY CARE GENERATION We are seeing a generation of children where the majority are brought up in an environment where both parents work and the children are shuttled off to day care where they learn to read, write, and finger paint but they ARE LACKING A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT. The children are encoded with a lack of feelings towards others. >From as early as infancy, children are spending the major portion of their waking day in a sterile environment where they are never hugged or nurtured. When their parents pick them up, they feed them, bath them and SPEND ABOUT AN HOUR OF QUALITY TIME OUT OF AN ENTIRE DAY. THEY DO NOT LEARN TO CARE FOR PEOPLE. There is a general decay in the social fabric caused by an inability to allow a parent to stay home for the first six years of a child's life. LETS PROPOSE A TAX BREAK TO THOSE WHO TAKE THIS APPROACH. Renee Welch 72 wrote: I told my middle school students how Columbine directly effected them because someone I knew was there! I was of course referring to Laurie Shearer '72 It makes me grateful to teach in school where at least prayer is a part of the curriculumn. We discussed exactly how our school would handle such a crises. I don't think it is truely possible to prevent some of this mess. I lived in Singapore for 2 1/2 years. NO one has guns ( except the police and the army) Every bullet & casing MUST be accounted for! I felt safer in a foreign country than I currently do in Texas ( Home of the "you can take my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers" attitude ) I had a most interesting discussion with my 8th grade students regarding Columbine. They agreed that media is an influence but don't feel that the media makers should be held in any way responsible! +++ Well, enough on Columbine and gun control. Time to move on... COPYCAT Lorna Cline 72/73 wrote: "Yesterday (4/27) there was another "copycat" threat (actually two) in Sacramento - one a call to McClatchy High and the other was a 7th grader at T.R.Smedberg middle school, which just happens to be next door to Sheldon High where my youngest daughter (freshman) is now attending, the 7th grade girl made threats that she was going to blow up the principals office on Friday and had some bomb paraphernalia. The principal of Smedberg has a freshman son who happens to be one of my daughters good friends. The girl was arrested and has been in Juvenile Hall and will be expelled from the School District. Trying to drive my daughter to school today was a zoo, every other car was a police car or a radio or TV reporter." Lorna also sent a touching poem on Columbine which I was reluctant to publish because of it's religious nature and I wouldn't want to offend anyone . I would be glad to forward to interested alumni. STORE I received the quarterly payment report from amazon.com today for the first quarter. Encina alumni purchased a total of $598.91 for a referral fee of $31.30. Since some of you have written me wondering whether your purchases were actually credited to the Encina website, I've included the list of books which were purchased so you may examine it to see if your purchases are among them. Many thanks to all of you who take the trouble to link your purchases to the Encina store! >From January 1st, 1999 to March 31th, 1999 ASIN Title Amount ---- ----- ------ 0789423952 The Handbook of Knots 13.56 0553349708 Acupressure's Potent Points : A Guide 13.56 0028624513 Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics : Lear 41.91 1558746161 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II 10.36 6302914485 Christmas Carol(1951) 12.99 B000001EW3 Come On Over 12.58 0375750991 Cracking the Sat II : English Subject 13.60 1562764462 Dan Appleman's Visual Basic 5.0 Progr 47.99 0060928336 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhoo 11.20 6305265488 Ever After-Cinderella Story 13.99 0674318137 France, Fin De Siecle 14.95 1572314222 Hardcore Visual Basic : Version 5.0 39.99 0060229357 Harold and the Purple Crayon 9.06 0671729446 Heaven 5.59 0374332657 Holes 9.60 B000002J09 Led Zeppelin IV (Remastered) [ORIGINA 12.99 0061094129 Legal Tender 5.59 0864425465 Lonely Planet Australia (9th Ed) 19.96 0864425651 Lonely Planet New Zealand (9th Ed) 15.96 0895946254 No More Frogs, No More Princes : Wome 8.76 B00000DC4A On A Day Like Today 14.99 B000002JF7 On Eagle's Wings 12.99 0609602497 On Mystic Lake 13.97 B0000062UW Pilgrim 12.58 157231995X Programming Windows 47.99 B000002NJS Ray Of Light 12.58 B0000041OG Romanza 12.58 0394758110 Showdown at Gucci Gulch : Lawmakers, 12.80 B000006O8D Songs From Ally McBeal Featuring Vond 12.58 0060926600 The Annie Dillard Reader 12.00 0395860520 The Best American Essays 1998 (Serial 10.40 0395875145 The Best American Short Stories 1998 10.40 B000000WE5 The Fifth Element: Original Motion Pi 12.99 1557385238 The Technical Analysis Course : A Win 33.25 068981528X The Three Little Wolves and the Big B 4.79 0140544518 The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs 4.79 B000002BZ0 Wide Open Spaces 11.88 0590956108 Zoom Zoom Zoom I'm Off to the Moon 11.16 Boy bids $1 mln on Internet site KINGSTON, Ont. (AP) - A 13-year-old New Jersey boy won't soon forget who Sir John A. Macdonald is after bidding $900,000 on the Internet for Canada's first prime minister's bed. The boy's parents have also discovered their son placed several bids totaling more than $1 million over the last month using the facilities of eBay, a giant U.S.-based Internet auction house. During his eBay shopping spree, the boy - identified by The Star-Ledger of Newark in Wednesday's editions as Andrew Tyler of Haddonfield, N.J. - placed several other bids including $15,000 for a 1955 Ford convertible and $125,000 for a Superman comic. He also placed bids on a physician's office clinic in Florida, two mobile kitchens for movie shoots and a Van Gogh painting. WHAT'S NEW 4/30/99: Marie Booth 79, Bruce Rawlins 79, Becky Hudson 79, Leslie Hudson 76, Peggy Crans 89, Laurie Pryde 89, Brett Stover 76 update 4/29/99: Diane Jones 84, Steven Shellooe 70, Rose Shellooe 71, Dan Shellooe 73, Tom Shellooe 75, Peter Shellooe 77, Toni Shellooe 79, Nancy Klinke 79, Joan Knapp 67, Terry O'Neil 67, Teri Powell 67, Suzie Trimble 67, Marty Mearns 67, James Colard 67, Jan De Bacco 67, Greg Grassi 67, Charlene Jenkins 67, Marilyn Peterson 67, Gloria Schulze 67, Greg Stover 67, Chris Wicks 67 4/28/99: Steven Smith 89 bio, Michelle Smith 85, Glenn Fanning 89, David Martasian 87, Rachel Martasian 89, Sarah Martasian 92, Randy Onstine 89, Robert Bussey 61, Barbara Zimmerman 72, Anais Nguyen 89 bio, Eric Carleson 73 update, Paul Whitney 73, Julie Whitney 76, Sue Whitney 78, Laura Gray 79 bio, Geri Wickham 83 4/26/99: Angie Braio 84, Juli McReynolds 83, Tony Niederberger 73, Joe Niederberger 79, Therese Niederberger 83, John Meckfessel 91, Michael Pearson 91, John Pearson 92, Andy Pearson 94, Maryann Pearson 95, Shari Harris 76, Laura Gray 79, Margaret Shelton 62 Have a good weekend! Harlan Lau 73 Encina webmaster www.encinahighschool.com harlan@rambus.com