The class of 1981, fresh off their big reunion last June, is planning a tailgate for the first home football game of the season. That game will be played on September 16, 2006 at 1:00 PM. The tailgate, on the south side of the stadium, will begin at approx. 11:00 AM. Look for the roped- off area and the smell of great food, catered by Applewoods.

To RSVP, send an email to Chris Braun ’81. I’ll be happy to post those attending the tailgate on the alumni web site. Don’t miss this opportunity to get together with your classmates and friends in the class.

Please-let Chris know you’re attending!

Pyromation, Inc. (www.pyromation.com) – a producer of high quality temperature sensors for a variety of industrial applications – has announced planned reinvestment at the company’s two facilities on Industrial Road in Fort Wayne. Plans call for investment of over $2.5 million and the addition of 47 new jobs through 2009 at the company’s main facility at 5211 Industrial Road. Approximately $1.4 million will be spent at the Pyromation building located at 5227 Industrial Road where 22 new jobs are projected. Pyromation currently employs 146 full-time and two part-time employees at the two locations.??

“We’re pleased with the steady growth in sales across a number of our product lines, and this reinvestment is necessary to ensure that we can continue to meet customer expectations for the foreseeable future,” stated Peter C. Wilson (Wabash 1984), president of Pyromation, Inc. “We will continue to invest in our people, our equipment and our facilities to maintain the competitive edge we currently enjoy in the marketplace,” Wilson added.

Congrats, Pete!

(From a press release we received)

Friday Evening’s Elizabella Ball, at the Indiana Roof ballroom, took its cue from the hit reality show "Dancing with the Stars". The event was a fund-raiser for St. Elizabeth/Coleman Pregnancy and Adoption Agency.

Four couples competed…but that’s only the beginning. One of the couples featured the light-footed Steve Campbell ’92, deputy mayor of Indianapolis and board member of the National Association of Wabash Men. Steve teamed with Tina Gugenheim. Their performance was billed as the "most daring"…

The winning couple included Katy Fineman, a dance teacher and coach of the IUPUI "Swing Cats" and our own Father Pat Beidelman ’94, whose competition outfit included a Roman Collar.

Of course, Wabash won. And this might give a new meaning to the value of a liberal arts education! I don’t see a motto change to "Wabash Always Dances", though.

Congrats Steve and Father Pat!

Dr. John Panozzo ’89, one of our Colorado regional association leaders, has a busy fall planned. John joins the board of directors of the National Association of Wabash Men in October and returns to campus in early November for his induction into the Wabash Athletics Hall of Fame. Add those plans and commitments to a thriving family practice in medicine and raising three children – a busy life indeed.

I caught up with John and his wife Ebie on a recent trip to Denver – they’re difference makers!

Photo: Ebie and John Panozzo ’89 (in the background) talk to Dan Sweet ’04 and his girlfriend.

OK…I’ll put up one entry…the view from Jeremy and Stacey’s deck this morning…that’s Pike’s Peak.

‘Nuff said!

The Grunge will be transitioning to Grandpa Grunge (or Ga’Bunge) for the next week…going to see the grandchildren…and their parents.

We’ll be presenting one of them with a t-shirt exclaiming "My grandparents don’t spoil me, they’re just very accommodating."

Of course, we’ll follow that up with anything they want that we can afford!

Back to the blog in about 10 days…unless they need us more in Colorado Springs, that is…

This picture was supplied by Jay Fisher ’66, who received it from Bobby Small ’65, who received it from the photographer, Bruce Baker ’64. It was taken recently near Bobby’s home in Indianapolis.

Jay Fisher would want me to mention that he, Bobby, and Bruce are all Sigma Chis from the golden age of Wabash but I am not going to do that sort of thing in this blog.

Both!

Yes, the Phi Psi’s will take up temporary residence in the old FIJI house this fall as their house continues to be renovated.

The plan is to return to the newly renovated house after Christmas break. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

Rumor, and it’s strictly that, is that the Phi Psi’s will have to find some long range "artillery" to continue their classic confrontations with the Betas and Sigma Chis. We’ll just have to see what the fall brings.

You can track progress on the Phi Psi house at their blog.

Met last evening with five local alumni leaders in San Marcos, TX – Ron Brown ’67, Jim Braddock ’73, Dave Powell ’81, Kris Monson ’98, and Mark Cevallos ’99. We discussed regional association events and activities for the San Antonio, San Marcos, and Austin areas. Stay tuned for more. Despite the distance challenges between those areas, these guys want to help you build an active group in the area.

We ate in the Hill Country Grill which used to be the San Marco Bank and Trust. Our private room was indeed one of the old bank vaults. In the early 1900s this bank was robbed by the Newton Gang. They put so much nitro in and on a safe that it blew the safe and contents out into the street!

The bank was also featured in the 1972 movie the "Getaway" with Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw.

That’s Ron on the left and Kris on the right and one of those safes in the background. Good food, by the way!

In San Antonio, Texas for a meeting later today with some volunteers in our local regional association. Had a few extra minutes so I quickly drove down to the Alamo to send you a shot. San Antonio is a great town – lot’s to see and do.

This is also an area where many young men are probably looking for liberal arts college opportunities other than Trinity. Nothing wrong with Trinity – it’s a good school. But we’d like to see some of these young men make their way towards Wabash! If you know of such a young man, please let Betsy Knott know. Betsy recruits in this area for the College. You can refer a young man easily – just click here.

Temperature? Already 97 degrees and it’s early!