WhiskeyBravo

Pictures from the All-Star game Saturday and the Caty game today in the gallery. Our team won the All-Star, not such good news against Catasauqua.

UPDATE:

Not sure what is wrong with the UStream videos, there is no sound. In any event, my machine finally chewed through the video and finished encoding it, so here you go!

Integrated Project is an 8 month journey. Beginning before the start of the school year, the teams must work on a 45 minute mixed media presentation on a topic fitting a predetermined broad concept. This year, the concept was “What if there was no news?” and the idea was for the teams to present factual and counterfactual  visions of the world as it was, and how it could have been.

Meagan was on a team that focused on the 1920′s. In “An Era On Air”, they focus on how news shaped the events of the period, and paint a compelling picture of how very different it might have been in a world without radio and newspapers. Watching them weave the story was magical, and I could no have been more proud.

So, enjoy the video, and don’t miss the pictures in the gallery.

UPDATE: Well…for some reason, the embeded video from Ustream doesn’t have any sound (at least on my end). I’m encoding my own video while I’m at work and will have it up this evening.

It’s late, so I’ll post more about this tomorrow, but it was a fantastic day topped off by a wonderful celebration.

Here are links to the streaming videos. I’ll put my own up soon along with some pictures in the “family” gallery.

(Links removed since they were broken anyway – Go to ustream.com and search if they eventually get fixed)

Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard on these projects!

For memorial day, I thought it would be appropriate to post some biographical information written by my dad. My deepest gratitude to all who have served our country.

Walsh, William J., Lt. Col, USAF
AF-CAP Liaison Officer – Illinois Wing

Born 12 October 1912, Frackville, Pennsylvania. Attended public schools there and graduated from Frackville High School in 1930.

Died 25 March 1990 – Buried at Arlington National Cemetery (info added by Son, Francis)

Early interest in aviation continued and became an active licensed pilot long before World War II. After beginning of hostilities, became a Civil Service pilot, assigned to Training Command. Graduated from the Central Instructors School, Mather AFB, and was assigned to Luke Field Advanced Flying School, Arizona, Was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant 19 May 1943 at Luke field, and given aeronautical rating as a Service Pilot. Continued as an Advanced Flying Instructor until October 1942.

Went to the European Theatre of Operations and assigned to the 326th Ferrying Squadron. About D-Day went into C-47′s with the 302nd Air Transport Wing and continued under this Wing until end of hostilities in Europe. Was assigned as Provost Marshal, Bremen Air Base, Germany in the Army of Occupation.

Returned to Continental United States – 1946 assigned to TAC, with Provost Marshal’s Office, Became Field Supervisor, CID, under TAC and remained in that position at Greenville AFB, South Carolina until the Office Of Special Investigations was formed; then assigned as one of the original officers in that organization, with 6th District OSI, at Warner Robins AFB, Georgia.

December 1951 was selected for assignment to Tehran, Iran with MAAG, and was reassigned later to the United States Military Mission to Iran as Air Transport Advisor, and served in Iran until July 1954. Received the Iranian Legion of Merit Decoration for this tour.

Subsequent assignments were all under Military Air Transport Services at Charleston, South Carolina, where final assignment was Operations Officer, 22nd ATS. Air Rescue Service, Assistant Operations Officer, alternating between Puerto Rico and Buenos Aires, Argentina supporting USAF U-2 Operation. While on this assignment flew the Air Rescue escort airplane for Vice President Nixon’s South American Tour.

Last assignment before AF-CAP was at McChord AFB, Washington. Was acting Commnander of the 33rd ATSqdn at the time of inactivation, June 1960.

Flying experience from OX-5 through World War II – fighter aircraft transports including C-118′s. 7300 military flying hours, plus civilian light plane time.

I completed the 45th year of my journey through life yesterday. With a little luck and planning I’ll have AT LEAST that much farther to go in good health. I suppose with all the Heinlein I read as a youngster I’ve got a small hope I might just live long enough to live “forever”. Just call me Lazarus.

I celebrated my “achievement” of survival by going camping last weekend with William and his scout troop at Tobyhanna. It was a good trip and certainly left the boys with exciting stories to tell. We took a 10 mile hike on Saturday on one of the most challenging trails I have ever seen. Lots of rock hopping and climbing over trees brought down by this winter’s ice storms. Growth so thick that several times we had to send scouts out to find the next red trail marker on a tree. It was grueling, exhausting, and wonderful!

Saturday night brought vicious thunderstorms, and something else that could have been vicious, but thankfully wasn’t. A bear visited our camp in the night and made a heck of a mess of things. Tore into one of our food boxes and dragged our garbage (which should have been put in the dumpster) into the woods. A few boys said they heard the intruder, but none quite had the courage (or recklessness) to try and steel a glimpse> They smartly snugged down in their tents and waited until morning to see what had happened.

Weekends like this one make my years vanish. and that is good. Sadly every day I go to work lately ages me immeasurably. The joys I have had in the past several years of leading talented people to do meaningful things are gone, replaced with feelings of despair and hopelessness. I met with our president last week and it was no help. I’ve concluded the company has given up on a strategy to win, and settled on a strategy to simply not lose “too much”. These are difficult conditions for people who believe they have a vision. I’ve spent years “leading upwards” but it is just so much more difficult now, and frankly no one seems to be interested. They know they can survive, and they are resigned to do no more.

But it is only work, it is not life. The company will either come back to me or it will not. I will do what is asked but I will not stop doing what is important. I will not seek out failure but I will not hide it if it is thrust on me. I will do it quickly, and move forward. Someday there will again be meaningful work to be done. If not here, then somewhere else. I have another lifetime ahead of me…

Something else I did in celebration of my own life so far, a few eeks ago I received the last of the slides from Dad from Scan Cafe. Once again they did a phenomenal job preserving these old memories. This batch leads up to my early childhood. I’ve replaced the original gallery with a new one including some of my favorite images from this wonderful collection. I hope someone enjoys them as much as I do. I’ll be sending copies of the entire set to my sisters Cheryl and Marian, and to my half brother Geoffery in Wales.

After a long, grueling season, the Lady Falcons experienced something of a rebirth in the last four contests. Coach Covely threw the players in the mixer and dropped them in a completely new lineup that finally found something resembling a rhythm. Defense was much better over the last four games and other than a disjointed rainout/continuation game with Southern Lehigh, the girls held their own and played full 7 inning games.

In the final contest of the season the ingredients came together including some offensive performance and the ladies defeated the Bangor Slaters 11-10. This in spite of apparent efforts on the part of the umpires to thrust defeat on them. They didn’t give up, and a single by Senior Jen Singly drove in the winning run in the form of Freshman Markella Wickel.

Congratulations girls on a well deserved victory and on ending the season on a upswing. Good luck Senoirs!

Pictures from Palisades and Bangor in the gallery.

Meagan makes the stretch

Ariel pitching

William’s baseball season is now in full swing. Second game today versus one of the other Salisbury teams. Not a good result but not terrible either. I set up a new gallery for the season.

Well it sure took a while, but the Lady Falcons chose Senior Night under the lights at Pates Park as the setting for their first victory! They didn’t make it easy either. After leading the whole game, things got rough at the top of the 7th and the girls fell behind 10-8. But they came back hitting and Ashley had an inside the park homer to tie it up. Meagan had an infield hit to get to first, Allyssa and Nirie moved her to third with sacrifices, then Bri drove her in for the win. Very exciting!

Meagan at work

We were able to enjoy our first softball game of the season that didn’t require a winter coat! Sadly, the team continues without a win on the season, but they are still fighting. On a bright note, Meagan got an opportunity to pitch for the first time in the season, striking out 4 and allowing only a couple of hits in two innings.

No video from today, but I did put up a gallery with a few pictures.

Judy, Wanda, Buddy and Mary

My grandmother Mary Moreland passed to her final resting place on Monday, after a short battle. She had 91 years of energy and love filled life. Adored by many, she left a large legacy of family to carry on. Her obituary is here.

She will be missed.

After three games in four days, the Lady Falcons are still winless, but the games have been hard fought and things are definitely going to go their way soon. Today they played #1 BECA and held them to two runs through 5 innings. A very good performance. Pictures from all three games are in the gallery. N Lehigh, Caty, Beca