the fundraiser

i went to iowa, my native state, this weekend to save a school and see a baseball game with my dad. both events were enjoyable. the iowa cubs won, beat colorado springs 1-0. grew up seeing games there with my dad, likely will always have a special place in my heart for that venue formerly known as sec taylor stadium. though this entry will mostly be about the school. before going to des moines for the game i had my hair cut my the barber who cut it when i was a youngster. his name- charlie brown. i am NOT making this up! coincidental, since in the comic strip charlie's dad is a barber, much like the creator's (charles schulz) was. even read a charlie brown book while waiting, just like as a youngster. still like charlie brown and snoopy.
before the school fundraiser, i went to the local museum and library to research emerson hough, the man. he was a western writer from my hometown, and i am part of the effort to save the school that bears his name. i was pleased to find items at the library like his movie 'covered wagon' on vhs tape, as well as a small file with clippings like the dedication of the school back in 1927. watched the movie right there. though most notable was the caricature of hough by a chicago cartoonist, showing him with a rifle at his side! very appropriate for a western writer!
i am more behind saving this school after touring it. looking inside it is all renovated and very much up to date. and i liked how there was a display case next to the office with some of his books, reminding people of who hough was. even better was the western themes of many things there, like a board with worksheets called 'roping in mighty fine work'. and the playground called 'ft. emerson hough', including a covered wagon and other western items.
didn't take long to get noticed, right after entering i saw a classmate that said 'hi'. and he said his mom showed the letter i wrote when sending my contribution to the fund. i had done it one other time already this year, to the ed thomas fund after the tragedy that claimed the coach in june. both mean something- with this one, my hometown, and with thomas, as an iowan and as a member of my school's football team.
in all, i saw 4 classmates, and many former teachers. well worth the drive back from out of state. may have driven the farthest to be there, but not sure. probably one of the few who never went to or worked at that grade school, as i went to another in town, the now-defunct lincoln school. lincoln was an old 2-story building built just before world war I that was demolished a few months after i started college.
had the winning bid on 2 items, since i like baseball and books i bid on those. a cover band played mostly 50s and 60s music, including hits from the 'clear lake 3'- buddy holly, big bopper, ritchie valens. despite this, i had the song 'alejandro' by lady gaga stuck in my head-from hearing it on the radio fairly often recently. go figure. guess it's a catchy song!
i trust that we will be successful on saving the school. funds raised are going to pay for the legal appeal. it is truly 'fighting the good fight'. it is good to have a reminder of a native who succeeded. as one attendee said, it is wrong to throw one of our own under the bus. i concur. he was in the town's first high school graduating class, and created our alumni association as well. then he became a famous writer who was friends with president theodore roosevelt, pat garrett (who shot billy the kid), and l. frank baum (who wrote the 'wizard of oz'). in addition, he was co-founder of the izaak walton league and helped get a law passed to protect the buffalo in yellowstone park. a true outdoorsman.
we need to dream, and see what's possible with hard work. we are nothing without our dreams, our goals.