Hungry RAGBRAI Riders =
Money for Scouts

posted 7/28/1998

Wednesday, July 22, Boy Scout Troop 157 of Gilbert enjoyed success with its food tent along the Haywarden - Story City leg. Having the wonderful problem of running into shortages, the stand raised $1400 before expenses.

The day started out at 5:00 AM for the Scouts, with a light drizzle and clouds that brought the temperature to a bearable level. The first bicyclists appeared soon after, but were intent only on the road ahead. Business increased as the dawn sky brightened, and eventually there was even a long line. The main offering was biscuits and gravy for $2. Also available were cookies, donuts, coffee, fruit, milk, juice, and pop. David Whetstone and other Scouts barked out advertisements to the passing cyclists, bringing frowns and smiles. Neon pink signs announced the sale miles up the road. The biscuits and gravy were all gone by 8:20 AM.

This project was mainly the work of Karen Hameister. A RAGBRAI rider in previous years herself, she both came up with the idea and the implementation of it. Scouts' families donated cookies and baked the biscuits. Local businesses gave many of the materials and food items to Troop 157 free or at reduced cost. (Sponsors included: Anderson Erikson, Hy-Vee, Cub Foods, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Fareway, Target, Dutch Oven, and Party Time.)

Thousands of bicyclists passed by the Scout's stand as the day went on. It was usual to see the unusual - tandems and recumbents; bike helmets with devil's or viking horns, hog noses, tails, or arrows through the head; radios duck taped to bumpers; bumble bee striped bike shorts; and teams of crash test dummies. For a while, the Boy Scout's stand was even blessed with the tunes of a trumpeter cyclist. Many cities and states were represented: New York City, New York; Wyoming; Indiana; Arizona; and Sandiego, California.

False Alarm Brings Hot Talk

posted 5/20/1998

Tuesday, May 19, near the end of the third lunch shift, the annoyingly shrill sound of Gilbert High's fire alarm brought the students outside into the hot, balmy air. Mrs. Schmidt and other administrators began telling students to go to the bleachers. As understanding seeped through the sweaty crowd, the students moved towards the track. Seniors were directed to the smaller of the two home bleachers, while the rest of the mass headed to the other.

The seniors received their talk from Mr. Quarnstrom first. After he finished with them, he headed over to the rest of the student body.

As a few complaints arose, he reminded the students that it "wasn't my idea to come out here in the first place anyway." He then told the students that since there had been such an extraordinary number of false alarms from Gilbert, the school would be fined $100 for each additional one. As well, he explained that he was being lobbied to install $3000 of security cameras to monitor the fire alarms. (No mention was made of ink squirting alarms which mark the puller a hero or a criminal.) This $3000 would come out of a $5000 operating budget putting the squeeze on other necessities. The situation is "way past ridiculous" Mr. Quarnstrom said.

Chris Williams Wins at Jeopardy

posted 2/17/1998

Last Thursday, the History Club's annual Jeopardy Bee wrapped up as the two finalists out of 16, Chris Williams and Matt Miller, faced off before the whole of the school. In the end, Chris Williams' lead going into Final Jeopardy would prove decisive. Even with a daring wager of all of his points (and the right answer), Matt Miller could not win. By a margin of one point, 31-30, Chris Williams took sweet victory and went home $20 richer.

As the first round started, Chris' score took a tumble into the negative. Midway through, though, his correct answer "Lusitania" to the question "What was the name of the British ship sunk by a German submarine on May 7, 1915?" tied the scores 5-5. By the time Final Jeopardy arrived, Chris Williams had gained the lead 25-15. Matt Miller's only hope was that Chris might slip before the Final Jeopardy category of "prejudice."

The question to decide who would take home the prize was "Name the organization that has worked for equal rights for blacks in the 20th century." As both competitors returned correct answers of "the NAACP," it was clear that Chris Williams would be champion. Matt's efforts did not go unrewarded, however. He received $15 dollars from the History Club for second place.

Test your knowledge of American History with a selection of questions from the Jeopardy Bee.

Spanish Club Gives to Food Shelter

posted 10/3/1997

Soon, the Bethesda food shelter will receive a gift of well over a hundred cans of food, the result of the Spanish Club's yearly dues: a can of food or a dollar. This is the continuation of a tradition started two years ago.

The student council was holding a can drive at the time. The Spanish Club decided to do its part, too, and has carried the idea on every Homecoming week since then.

Mrs. Van Bergen, sponsor of the Spanish Club, said that she'd much rather see a can than a dollar. Not much money is needed for club activities, and it's good for students to do a service project.

Based on interviews with Mrs. Rice, Mrs. Van Bergen, and the Spanish Club assembly

Britain Mourns

Princess Diana Dead At 36 After Paris Auto Accident

Aug. 30, 1997

At 11:00 PM CDT, Princess Diana of Wales was pronounced dead. Dodi Al Fayed, son of the owner of Harrod's in London and companion to the Princess, also died as a result of the crash. Apparently, their car had been traveling at a high-speed as they tried to escape photographers.

The crash occurred four hours before the Princess died, near the entrance to a tunnel along the River Seine. All three major networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) interrupted their evening lineups to bring news directly from the wire, first saying that Princess Diana had suffered a concussion, a broken arm, and a serious cut to the thigh. Later they brought news of her death from cardiac arrest. From all there was visible shock and the beginnings of what is sure to be a great mourning.

As the evening headed towards midnight, friends and acquaintances talked by phone to the networks. Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State, spoke of his friendship with the Princess and of the recent auction for charity which Princess Diana and his wife hosted. Others mentioned Princess Diana's influence on fashion and her campaign with the Red Cross against land mines. The British foreign minister pointed out that our thoughts should first go towards the Princess's children, William and Harry.

This story is based upon news reports from NBC, CBS, and The Des Moines Register.

Basketball Teams Enjoy Success

by Alanson Ridpath
posted 12/16/1997

Friday night, Dec. 12, the boys team won a thriller against Ogden. With just six seconds remaining in the 2nd overtime, Zeb Riker sunk a three-pointer giving Gilbert the lead it needed to win, 96-94.

It was a night of ties. Gilbert would surge ahead, then Ogden would play catch up. The first half set the pattern, tied by Ogden making a free throw, the score 34-34. The game would not end in the second half, though, for again it was tied, 73-73. Even as the first overtime's seconds ticked to a close, the score was still at a stalemate, 81-81. Finally, the second overtime ended the game with the Tiger's victorious, 96-94. This brings the varsity team's record to 2-2.

Although Ogden's Mike Banks scored 43 points, the Tigers had five players score into the double-digits. Chris Williams led with 25 points followed by Zeb Riker with 21, Cody Fleming with 20, Dan Smith with 15, and Lloyd Flanders with 10. Nathan Olson contributed 6 points.

The younger Gilbert teams are also doing well. The JV squad improved to 3-0 with a 57-42 victory over Ogden. The freshmen team is now 2-0 with decisive wins over Colo-Nesco and Ogden.

Gilbert's 7th and 8th grade teams both gained impressive victories in their first games against South Hamilton. The 7th grade team won 38-22, and the 8th grade team won 52-20.