AND A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL...


PARTY PARTY!

Re-Union of Peterson & Piccioni Groups & Friends
Weekend of 10-12 August 2001
San Diego

BEACH PARTIES!!
STAR PARTIES!!
YAK YAK YAK!!


Last Update: 27 August 2001

Saturday at the Park

L-R: Front: Bill Dallas, John Laros, Larry Peterson, Jay Laros; Middle: Kerry Pazan, Julie Laros, Joelle Peterson, Bill Wheaton; Back: Steve Pazan, Duane Gruber. L-R: Front: Bill Dallas, John Laros, Larry Peterson; Middle: Kerry Pazan, Julie Laros, Joelle Peterson, Bill Wheaton; Back: Steve Pazan, Duane Gruber, Pat Fisher.
L-R: John Laros, Jay Laros, Bill Dallas.

From Pat Fisher


LINK TO DUANE GRUBER'S 1970 HALF-DOME PIX


Contents:

  1. News

  2. Planned Schedule & Activities

  3. People Confirmed as Attending

  4. Communications Information

  5. Resources -- Especially places to crash

  6. Needs

  7. Quotes and Comments Received


Latest News:

25 August:
Have had nice e-mails from Bob Swanson, Phil Yager, and several others who could not make it but were with us in spirit.

13 August:
Great success, thanks to all who helped and all who participated. Pictures from Pat Fisher of the Saturday park get together have been posted above. Duane has also sent me a link to his page of pix from the 1970 Half Dome back pack, see above. He still has some unidentified people in it he'd like help with.

We also had a nice breakfast in P.B. with the Laros's, Duane & me (Bill W.), the Pazans, Bill Dallas, and also Tom and Suzie Betlach.

10 August:
Lovely party at Bob and Wanda Bacastow's: Thanks to all who contributed!

Saturday program is to meet at Steve Pazan's in Encinitas for park, pool, barbeque-type get together, starting any time after 11 AM. Moonlight Beach is (alas) being covered with tons and tons of new sand tomorrow, and is therefore unavailable (or at least inadvisable). See below ("Planned schedule...") for directions.

9 August:

FLASH!! Mikaya Lumori (and his American wife Shari) are coming Friday ! He is on the faculty in EE at University of San Diego.


Friday night party at 6 PM. Call 760-944-1422 to confirm you are coming if there may be doubt (Petersons, Stephans, Baitys ? I am in doubt about for Fri.)


FLASH!! Betlach found !!


A PROPOSAL FOR THE FUTURE:

For the consideration of those assembled (and sufficiently soused to be eligible to vote):

That we meet henceforth on years with weekends of Perseid maxima, when the Moon lies in propitious phase.

Tragically, eligible voters will be unable to guess when next that might be....


Does anyone have any idea how to reach Bob Garland or Tom Betlach?

I can use Duane's computer from San Diego to update this page, so keep watching it for details as they develop. (Ie, don't panic, yet.)
I expect to leave Pasadena after 1 PM Friday. I may go directly to Bob Bacastow's, or else first to Duane's, then back to Cardiff.


8 August:
Address etc info for Bob Bacastow: 1031 Sea Villiage Dr., Cardiff-By-The-Sea, CA 92007. I will post a map tomorrow AM if not before. It appears we are settling on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas as the place for the Saturday beach party, details below. As of now the suggestion is that we plan Sunday activities on-the-fly Friday & Saturday, so people can break up into smaller groups, work around other plans, etc., face to face. A Champaigne brunch has been suggested by Julie; Old Town has been suggested as a possible site by me if such is offered there.

At this point we have 10-20 people coming, so it is clear we will have a nice time. I expect most of the people who have not responded yet have simply not had time to check their e-mail. This is August, of course. Some of those (eg, Bob Swanson, Jim Matteson) in the local area could do so at any moment and might well come, so we may pick up one or two more in the next couple of days.

Bill Baity points out that the annual Perseid meteor shower peaks Saturday night. This is generally the best of the annual showers, with rates typically ~ 1 /minute. The Moon is not ideal, but not terrible either. So it should be worthwhile.

Pat Fisher reports Oreste is really pretty sick and unlikely to be able to come. She talked to his wife (Marina) yesterday. I am hoping all the old Piccioni group people can at least sign a card to send him.

7 August:
Hero(ine) of the Day: Wanda Bacastow, who didn't make a scene.
FTP problems mysteriously vanished, but have alternate site linked in, just in case.

Larry Peterson will be with us, to some degree at least. Palomar Observatory is trying to locate Juan Carrasco (now retired) for us. I had a spate of problems with FTP updating the site this AM, and have created an alternate just-in-case they recur; the two are cross-linked to each other, so if one seems dated, try the other. Links near the top of each page. (I expect to use the backup only if necessary, so it will ordinarily to be out of date.)

6 Aug:
Have now got e-mails out to almost everyone I can think of, and a temporary and tentative e-mail list here. Julie and John will be staying at the Diamond Head Inn starting Wednesday night, you can reach them there (see communications table for phone). Pat Fisher will be join us, as will Ed Stephan and his wife Connie. I have sent e-mails to Phil Yager, Toby Burnett, and Laurie Littenberg, and am even trying to track down Juan Carrasco (a legend in his later career as operator of the Palomar 200" telescope; but apparently lately retired.)

4 Aug: Sorry so pokey getting this up, everyone, but it actually is happening! We just started our final 2MASS data processing Thursday, sort of equivalent to launch for a space mission, so I hope to have a little more time now to work on this.

Julie called Thursday night, and they are on track to arrive en masse Wednesday, including Jason and little Jessie. Bill Dallas, Susarla Murty, and Bob Bacastow have lately joined in as well. In fact, Bob has made a wonderful offer of his place for a Friday-night gathering for food and conversation. The plan is to have the traditional ham and potato salad, a little beer -- the basics, anyhow.


Planned Schedule and Activities

  1. Friday (August 10): Dinner and talk at Bob & Wanda Bacastow's house, in Cardiff, starting at 6 PM; running until ????. Ham and potato salad are on the program, plus beer, but if it is convenient to bring something, please do. Call (760-944-1422) to co-ordinate, and also to confirm if you are coming for the final head count. (Of course mostly just come, only bring something if convenient.)
    Address: 1031 Sea Villiage Drive, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007. Phone (760) 944-1422. Directions: Take Interstate 5 to Birmingham Dr., proceed east (ie, right if coming north from San Diego) about 0.4 mile to Freda Ln; right again and drive about another 0.4 mile south to Sea Villiage Dr, turn right to #1031, a few hundred feet .

  2. Saturday (August 11): Plan is to use a nice little park near Steve and Kerry Pazan's house. Potluck free-for-all. I understand there is a pool and Steve will bring a BBQ; BYO meat to cook. (Moonlight Beach is indisposed; see 8/10 note above.)

    Here is a map of area around Steve Pazan's house. The park is very near ( ~400 feet), so go to Steve's with the map, and ask or look. Address is 1543 Valleda Lane.

    Stargazing:
    Where:
    "Far from city lights-in the mountains or deserts. Mt. Laguna, Julian, Palomar Mountain, the Anza-Borrego Desert are all nearby dark-sky sites. To park anywhere in the Cleveland National Forest, however, you'll need $5.00 Wilderness Pass or risk a $100 fine. You can purchase one at the Laguna Mountain Lodge & Trading Post (619-473-8533)."
    (Note: Bill has a pass, and it will cover one carload of people. I can take 3 passengers in my Civic, or we could conceivably go in a larger car and take more. Any people who want to join in with me, let me know.)
    Once again, we could really use someone to do a little investigating about sites: are there campgrounds that are likely to be full where advance reservations are necessary, etc.
    See Bill Baity's information in "comments" section below for further suggestions on warm clothes, etc.

    ~ How ~


    Courtesy of Gert

  3. Sunday (August 12): As of now the best thought seems to be that we plan Sunday activities on-the-fly Friday & Saturday, so people can break up into smaller groups, work around other plans, etc., face to face. A Champaigne brunch has been suggested by Julie; Old Town has been suggested by me as site, if such is offered there.

Everything is still open for suggestions. If you have preferences or ideas, do throw them out. Obviously if anyone can offer something to help out, that would be enormously helpful.


Confirmed Attenders:

I expect we will have some more Peterson group folks, maybe Bob Swanson, and I hope for Werner Mehlhop and Oreste Piccioni.

Regrets:

Dave Gilman and his family are on a cruise ship in the western Mediterranean. Alas. (However there is a webcam on the bridge, so I an negotiating to get him to put in an appearance by www by standing in front of it for us.)
Laurie Littenberg sends greetings and asks to keep in touch for the future.
Sally Delano Goodman will be in Alaska, but sends greetings and hopes to be with us at some future gathering.

Dan Schwartz, Tanya Atwater, Rich Mushotzy, Fred Knight, Dave Mckenzie, Jim Ling all send regrets.


Communications Information:

For the moment I am serving as "Communications Central". Maybe we'll have a proper address file someday. Until then, relay through me (sorry this is complicated....):

Bill's home phone:626/798-2756 Voicemail picks up in three rings, and usually I can't get to it in time. Nominally Georgia's phone, but fine to leave messages for me too.
Bill's phone:626/798-5597 Fine any time of night or day, but no message machine and I am often not there. (Let it ring a long time, so I can get to it if I am in the kitchen or whatever.)
Bill's work phone: 626/397-7104 Probably the best for me, but has no message light (voicemail) and I sometimes forget to check. I will try to remember this week, though.
Bill's e-mail: williamwheatona@aol.com Probably the best all-around way to get anything complicated to me. I usually check it every day, at least.
Bill's work e-mail: waw@ipac.caltech.edu The best if you need to get my attention in a hurry during the work week.
Julie & John Laros: e-mail: jjjjjl@prodigy.net
Phone 520/722-0681 thru Wed AM
Diamond Head Inn, P.B. after Wed eve.
Phone: 858/273-1900
Master mind (? Mistress mind?)
Bob Bacastow: e-mail: bacastow@cdrgsun.ucsd.edu
home phone 760/944-1422
work phone 858/534-6289 X15, answ. machines both places.
Friday night host. Co-ordinate food with him.
Duane Gruber: e-mail: dgruber@nethere.com
Phone: 619/543-9352
Bed, couch, or floor space. (Also pipe organ.)
Steve Pazan: e-mail: spazan@pacbell.net
Phone: 760/436-0126
1543 Valleda Lane, Encinitas
Has some couch/bed space. Near Saturday beach/park activities.
Bill Dallas: Staying at the Residence Inn, in Carlsbad
Phone: 760-431-9999
 

Address List (so far as known) -- whether coming or not.


Resources -- Especially places to Crash

Duane Gruber has a bed or two and lots of floor space. Let him know by e-mail or phone (above). I plan to stay there.

Steve Pazan has some limited space. Lives in Encinitas. Let him know by e-mail or phone (above).

I am generally willing to pick up people at the airports and transport them, subject to the limitations of my Civic hatchback, and the difficulties of being two places at the same time. Let me know.

Julie offers to help with the food Friday night. (They will be staying at the Diamond Head Inn, from Wednesday on.)

Pat Fisher: "I have one uncomfortable pull out couch in my living room in my small house with one bathroom and a roomate if anyone is desperate for a place to stay." (See e-mail list)

Gertrude Mueller Nelson, who has been a good friend of many of us (Roger, Tom Witten, etc) through the music group and Duane, is helping with the food. (See e-mail list).


Needs:

We probably could use more beds & couches, if anyone has anything available in the San Diego area. Please send anything you may have to offer to me for posting here.

Names and addresses for future communications:
If you know people who should know about this, please send me their contact information, but also let them know about it directly (ie, give them this www page link) as that would help speed things up.
Who knows how to get hold of Werner A. M. Mehlhop?!
What about Oreste?!
Who is spreading the word to the Peterson Group?!!
Who is going to go and kidnap Don & Jo Scipione?! (Remember what happend to Bob Swanson in July 1969?!)

Ideas for the program, and help implenting, would be especially helpful.

At the moment arrangements for most meals etc are pretty much TBD -- let Bob know about Friday night, bring a dish or drinks if you are able, etc, etc. (No offering refused, all appreciated.)

Old Tales:
It's time we got our mythology straightened out. Bring your tales of the good old days. Maybe some of them will even get written down and published via www..... (A wave of fear and loathing sweeps over the globe....)

Optics: my old 6" telescope is pretty shot, so bring anything (telescopes, binoculars, etc) you may have. I will see if I can finangle something more powerful. Jim Matteson: can you help with this?!


Quotes & Comments:

This is a place I'll post messages I receive for broadcast.


From Bob B:

8/2/2001:
Dear Bill -
I am looking forward to seeing old friends at the reuion. I live in Cardiff, now, so I can easily come to any location. However, we could met at my place Friday evening for food and conversation. I would get a ham and some potato salad, etc., and of course, a few bottles of beer.
What do you think?
Bob Bacastow


8/8/01: Steve Pazan on Moolight Beach, Encinitas:
"Encinitas has several locations for a beach picnic. Parking is going to be difficult no matter where we decide to have this, but the Moonlight beach would be good from that standpoint. This map [I will try to attach Steve's map or another shortly --WAW] takes you to moonlight lane; moonlight beach is straight down Encinitas Blvd to the ocean, no turns (mapquest screwed up). There is a parking lot nearby and if the weather and surfing is bad enough we might be able to park there - at that it will probably be better than many other spots. There are facilities: water, showers, even a snack bar and lifeguards."


PERSEID METEOR SHOWER (From Bill Baity):
August 11/12, 2000

What is it?
The Perseid meteor shower is an annual pelting of our planet by pebbles and dust from the comet known as Swift-Tuttle.

When's the best time to see it?
The night of Saturday, August 11 and the morning of Sunday, August 12. You may see a few early meteors before midnight, but you'll see many more in the hours just before dawn.

Where's the best place to view it?
Far from city lights-in the mountains or deserts. Mt. Laguna, Julian, Palomar Mountain, the Anza-Borrego Desert are all nearby dark-sky sites. To park anywhere in the Cleveland National Forest, however, you'll need $5.00 Wilderness Pass or risk a $100 fine. You can purchase one at the Laguna Mountain Lodge & Trading Post (619-473-8533).

Which way should I look?
Typically meteors appear all over the sky, and this shower is no exception. But the last quarter moon will be in the southern half of the sky after midnight. So your best bet will be to concentrate on the northern half of the sky.

What do I need to see them?
You need only your eyes. Dress warmly, lie back on a lawn chair or sleeping bag and watch the sky. Binoculars might help if you see a smoky trail left by a long, bright meteor.

How many meteors will I see?
In a typical year, you might see 80-100 per hour. This year you'll see fewer since the last quarter moon will wash out some of the fainter ones.

How can I photograph the shower?
Yes. All you need is a camera capable of time exposures, a normal lens (preferably f/2 or faster), fast color film (e.g., Ektachrome P-1600 slide film), a tripod and a locking cable release. With the lens open all the way, expose the film for five to thirty minutes. When processed, your shots will show parallel star trails and, if you're lucky, meteor streaks crossing the trails.

How can I learn more?
Sky Information telephone tape: 619-238-1233, Ext. 6

http://www.skypub.com/sights/meteors/meteors.shtml
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/perseids.html
http://www.maa.mhn.de/Comet/metlegends.html

9 August: From Dan Scwharz --

"Thanks for organizing this. I'm sure it will be great, and the 24th anniversary of the HEAO-1 launch is certainly a good time.

Hello and best wishes to all,
Dan"


From Steve Pazan via Pat Fisher:
"The park is 450 walking feet away from my house. The upper park has about 10,000 sq ft of grass, a regulation tennis court, a playground with swings, etc., a 60 ft swimming pool with men's and women's bathrooms, a wading pool and showers. The lower park has about 40,000 sq ft of grass and several eucalyptus trees, from 60' to 100' in height spaced far apart. There are two fixed picnic benches in the upper park in excellent condition, about 10' long and spaced 30' apart. There are two moveable picnic benches in the lower park in not as excellent condition but quite useable, about 10' long and butted together at the moment. The ground has a pitch of at least 1:10 - it is not flat enough for a softball game. There are no bbq's; if we come to this park I will tow my gas grill there."

Steve's house is at 1543 Valleda Lane, Encinitas. I am vague as to how this ties in with Moonlight Beach; clarification as soon as I know more.


SO -- SEE YOU THERE! LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN MAKE IT.

Well yes, it is kind of late, we know, but what the hell. We're all getting old, right?

We'll have a better one in a year or two if we live long enough.

Please send a guess if you are likely to be able to come to Bill.