Allen Bruce Agnew - VHS gradiuate Class of 66

(Allen) Bruce Agnew	MY LIFE
... ................. .........	For all intents and purposes, you are all my Graduating Class, too. So, IF Milt will just let me onto this list as an honorary member of the Class of '66... I'd like you all to know that I would love to hear from any and all of you! I truly do remember all of you (thanks, Jan and Dick for the yearbook loan, Margaret and Kathy for the E-mails and updates!!). My e-mail address is at the end of this epistle to VHS'66. You all probably remember me as a short, pudgy kid. Actually, unless your memory is REALLY good, you'll also remember me as "Bruce", not "Allen" -- the name to which I changed when a Freshman in Vermillion (Allen's my first name). Although invited to attend the VHS '66 High School Reunion by a few of you with whom I'm beginning E-mail correspondence (and looking forward to many more!), I am unable to this time (when there's a next one, though, you betcha!) so will make up for it with a tale or two of where I've been for the past 43 years. It's been an interesting, a "little left of reality", journey! The first five months I was in Bloomington, Indiana, after moving there from Vermillion, in 1963, I lost 30 lbs, and grew 4 inches (eventually ending up about 5'9-1/2"). I just didn't want to be known as a fat kid the rest of my life...and wasn't, for the most part. So, I went on a diet, worked out, practiced my French Horn (thanks to Jim Sorenson) and it worked! Thanks to Mr. Sorenson, I beat out 18 other French Horn players in a Summer Music Camp at Indiana University, taking First Chair in the Orchestra, and had several major solos in a Summer concert...Mr. Sorenson REALLY taught me welll, with the pateince of Job, most probably, in his teaching of cornet, then trumpet, then mellophone, then F horn, then double-horn lessons...all in the space of three years in Vermillion!! Aside --> Remember Bedwell's English Class, where we learned to diagram all of those blackboards-wide sentences? I LOVED that old 1800's building, with its highly polished, squeaky, warped-hardwood floors...and that strange little stay-off-the-grass loopy chain with metal poles around that little bitty square of green on the west (Front) side of the building.<--And now back to our regularly scheduled program, which is already in progress... I gave up French Horn after High School (three high schools in four years, UGH!!!), went to Indiana University from 1966 - 2/68, withdrew before they kicked me out for low grades, played hippie in Tucson, Arizona, for 10 months in 1968, back to I.U. in 1/69, majored in Geology (B.S. 1973), took up Volleyball, managed the Indiana University Men's Varsity Volleyball Team, and coached the I.U. Women's Junior Varsity Team while I was attending classes. University of Missouri-Rolla 1973-77, majored in Geological Engineering [Groundwater Hydrology (MS 1975)] then have All But Dissertation in Geol. Eng. [Photointerpretation and Remote Sensing, with a minor in Civil Engineering (emphasis on Soil Mechanics)], started an Intramural Coed Volleyball League on campus, married my first wife from Kansas City, Missouri, in 1975 (best friends at the time, although the relationship was very full for us both, the feeling stayed at only the friendship level and, after 5 years, we were amicably divorced in Virginia in 1980). I also DJ'ed 2, 5-hour Oldies shows each week on KMFA Radio, and my second year in Grad School became Station Manager, dealing with some 150 Record Companies weekly for promos and stuff like that. Joined US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, 1977, in Environmental Review Group for four years; then, over several years became the Federal Bureau of Land Management's Senior Specialist in Coal Mining and Operations on Federal and Indian Lands, working in Washington, D.C. Played in the U.S Volleyball Association, Chesapeake Region; became Co-Founder and Vice-President of Reston Volleyball Association (RVA) with 26 Men's and Women's USVBA Teams in RVA sponsorship, playing in the Chesapeake Region (southern PA, occasionally NY and FL, down to southern VA). I was also Head of the 15 Women's USVBA Teams in RVA at the AA, A, BB, B and Seniors (age 35+) levels, coaching various teams at various levels, ended up at the National Championships four years in a row, coming in 9th in the Nation with one of my Women's Seniors Teams at the Nationals in Wichita, Kansas. Because we worked closely with Gallaudet University's Women's Deaf Team (some of their women played for me on my USVBA AA Women's Teams), my Women's AA Team became the workout team for Team USA Women's Deaf Olympic Volleyball Team for the 1985 Deaf Olympics in Los Angeles. I was made Honorary Captain of that Team (won the Gold Medal, losing only one game to Japan, didn't lose a single match!!). Moved to OR/WA State Office of Bureau of Land Management in 1991 in minerals, but migrated into the Internet/Intranet realm in 1994 and played with that until 2005 (Web Manager overseeing 75 websites...give or take). Married in 1996 to Erika (with son, Thomas (now 17) and daughter Lindsey (now 15)). Now, due to retire on 1/3/07, I've come full circle and am classifying lands for oil and gas leasing on the Columbia River Interior Basin, meeting the Public, and selling maps and information in the Public Information Center/Land Office in Portland. What we're getting ready to do? Erika and I plan to buy a collapsible travel trailer, hook that puppy up to our Suburban, and travel the US and A...well, as soon as Lindsey graduates from High School (in another 4 years). I would LOVE to join you all for that reunion!! You have no idea...that group just feels like home to me, more so than either University High School in Bloomington, Indiana (where I was a Sophomore), or Bloomington High School (where I was a Junior/Senior, because we moved across town a year after we moved to Bloomington). You are ALL a gossamer link to my very sound foundation from growing up in SoDak! Please write and let me know who and what you are! Allen
Profession:	Website:	Contact:
Geologist		Allen (Bruce) Agnew abagnew42@comcast.net Vancouver, WA
Susan Abell. .Tom Abell Kathy ArmstrongBruce/Allen Agnew Connie Cleland AshmoreMerle Ashmore Vicki Block Sharon Brewer Steve Busch Mary Jane Carlin Allan Charrlin Lonnie Cleland JoEllen De Vilbiss Jayne Girard Sam Heikes Shari Hope Dave Iverson Teresa Johnston Kathy Kavanaugh Marsha Kipling John Kruger Frank Kyte Jim Larson Karen LarsonMilt LeeSusan Lee Maureen Manning Paul Oden Diane Petereson Dave Rinker Bev Raschke Dean Rasmussen Dick Slattery Jan Slattery Sue Sorensen Doug Steckler Margaret VanCleave Mark Wetmore
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