This is my annual “dog days of summer” column, although I am not quite sure when summer will actually arrive weather-wise. I have been collecting notes about “my three sons,” about perhaps the best scholarship to be received this year and news of what’s in store for the Bothell High class of 1961 at its 50th reunion. Here goes:
Touring Nardoland
Ron Nardone, the self-appointed mayor of unincorporated Maltby, has invited his Bothell High classmates of 1961 to “Nardoland” to celebrate their 50th class reunion. They will gather Aug. 19 on the first day of a three-day celebration presented by the Bothell High Alumni Association. Alumni weekend will culminate with a picnic and car show for all alums from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 21 at Bothell’s Blyth Park.
The privately developed Nardoland is located in East Maltby and features 12 acres of every imaginable collector’s item you can spot. A highly visible centerpiece is an intended replica of downtown Bothell’s Pop Keeney sports fields of a bygone era. Ron has installed goal posts once used at the Bothell stadium. In addition, after he and other BHS loyalists raised $160,000 for a spanking new, electronically state-of-the-art scoreboard in use at Pop Keeney Stadium today, Ron managed to rescue the old scoreboard.
The ancient board is erected at the south end of Nardoland stadium. When lighted, it reminds Cougar football fans that the last game played in front of that scoreboard two seasons ago showed Bothell on the losing end of the score in a state-tournament contest with Bellarmine Prep.
“I bring this year’s players out here to see that score,” Ron claims, “and then I tell them not to let that happen again.”
Mike Dale has promised to line the grass field for the reunion. Ron has told those gridders of long past to be prepared for a short, impromptu flag-football scrimmage as part of the day’s event. I assume Medic One has been alerted.
My Three Sons
When Daryl Eckland opened his dental practice in Woodinville 31 years ago, I doubt he thought all three of his sons would end up in the same profession — one maybe.
As of this summer, all three have entered the world of dentistry. The oldest, Keagan, is in practice at Daryl’s office in Woodinville and their staff is seeing less and less of Daryl who has found some time to pursue his many interests and hobbies.
Colby has just started his practice in Redmond and Kale opened an office in Everett. Interestingly, Kale’s office is located on Colby Street.
Daryl, Keagan and Colby are University of Washington dental-school grads, but Kale headed to the Midwest after high school and completed his training at the University of Michigan.
“I didn’t want to just be known as Keagan and Colby’s brother,” he says.
Yummy scholarship
Possibly the luckiest local scholarship recipient this year is Dae-Hyun Jin, winner of the Lee and Velma Blakely scholarship offered through the Northshore Scholarship Foundation. In addition to awarding a $1,500 tuition grant, Lee and Velma’s daughters, Pat Martin and Judie Lunder, have made it a practice to bake and send a box of cookies to the Blakely recipients while they are away at college.
This “bonus” started in 2008 when Joylina Vasquez won the scholarship to begin studies in criminal justice. Natalie Larson headed to University of Washington to study engineering in 2009 and in 2010 Natasha Krasle started receiving the “cookie care package” at Western Washington University where she was in pursuit of a teaching degree. It’s rumored that they all are still getting these home-baked cookies on a regular basis. Pat and Judie will be packaging yet another batch starting next month — sent to Penn State where Jin will be working on a degree in psychology.
John B. Hughes was owner-publisher of the Northshore Citizen from 1961 to 1988 and is active in local nonprofit organizations.
