Not all of life's surprises are pleasant and so begins my latest saga.

Friday was a nice Spring day so I pulled my pickup into the alley and loaded it with shooting gear and rifles for a trip to the range. I was gone about four hours and had noticed a discomfort in my right foot that I thought was a wrinkle in my sock. On returning home I took off the shoe and noticed the bloody sock. Turning the shoe over revealed two, yes two, hypodermic needles embedded in the bottom. They had penetrated into the shoe and my big toe about 3/8 of an inch chewing-up the toe. Welcome to diabetic neurophy.

Had this happened in some big city, it might have been a shoulder shrug but in Idaho Falls? The Doctor was baffled. He said there is a protocol for treatment of medical personnel who receive a "needle stick" but they have the advantage of knowing who the needle has been in. He had never had a case like this, so called the CDC for advice. They informed him that there is only one preventive treatment option but it is very costly, carries bad side effects and considering my age wasn't advised. Too Bad, So sad. I will have blood tests every two weeks for six weeks and hope for the best.

Your prayers will be appreciated.

Jim Mason

PATRICIA L. YENDES
May 29, 1945 - January 18, 2012

After a 26 month battle with ovarian cancer, Patricia passed away quietly on January 18th, surrounded by her loving family.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Tom Yendes, her son, Chris Cannon, her daughter-in-law Kara, her grandchildren Andrew and Riley, her daughter, Kasey Cannon and her uncle, Larry Beidleman.
The combined families request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (www.pcrm.org) or the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).

A celebration of Pat's life was held on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at the Westlake Yacht Club in Westlake Village, CA. Classmates Jon Ballard, Henry Weaks and Kay Kolito attended.

Dear Member of the Class of 1960,

My name is Timothy Thompson and I am a First Classman from Indianapolis, Indiana. I come from a family of four, one sister, a mom, and a dad. My sister is younger than me and attends a boarding school in St. Louis called The Principia. My great uncle and my mom's cousin have both attended Culver, but I am the first in my direct family to attend.

This year I am the Unit Commander for Battery B for the first senior make. It has been a great honor to lead my peers and create a unit of brothers. At Culver there is nothing more important than a good bond between a unit, and that does not come without hard work. To become Unit Commander I have worked my way up the leadership ladder doing everything from being a good follower to teaching the new cadets how to live their day to day lives. The leadership opportunities that Culver has taught are preparing me for the future. I have learned to be responsible for myself and a group of young men around me. I have just been notified that I will serve as the Artillery Batallion Adjudant for the second make.

The classes that I am taking this year have all been new to me and they have opened my mind up to the world outside of Culver's bubble. There is a running joke on campus that Culver has a bubble over it and no information from the "real world" gets in or out. Government and Economics have exposed us to current news articles, which I have enjoyed and have learned from. Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus, while difficult, has been one of my favorite classes. The reason for this is it is a challenge. I push myself to truly understand the work, and AP Calculus pushes me even more.

I play hockey and golf. Both of these sports allow me to get away from the stresses of everyday life and have fun. I have been on Varsity Hockey Team for the past 3 years. We won the state championship last year! It was a very cool experience. I hope to repeat that and win another state championship in the early spring. Golf is a sport of ups and downs. You never know what you're going to get when you tee up your first shot, but the atmosphere of the game and being outside is what makes it incredible. While these are the two sports that I play at Culver, snow skiing is my true passion. I have lived in Indiana for most of my life so skiing hasn't really been part of the picture. There is a small ski slope in southern Indiana, but that is it. I have always built terrain parks in my front yard, and whenever I am given the chance to go skiing I take it. The feeling of being on a mountain, with just you and the snow, is like none other.

Next year for college I hope to attend Colorado School of Mines. It is an engineering school, and I have wanted to be an engineer since I was little. It is also in Colorado, which if you ask my parents is what I dream about at night (to ski, of course). Also, on my list are The University of Colorado at Boulder, The Unites States Naval Academy, and The United States Air Force Academy. Right now I am in the waiting process, but I know everything will turn out the way it is supposed to even if it is not how I may perceive it to be right now.

Reflecting on my senior year, I hope to bring away the leadership techniques that I have learned throughout my four years here. Being able to lead your peers is a huge part of being successful in life, and I believe Culver has prepared me for many of the difficulties that may be thrown at me. I would like to thank the class of 1960 for helping me to attend this great institution. I have learned many things, made great friends, and have had experiences that I will never forget. I could never have done it without your help. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tim Thompson

Robert A. Funk

Robert A. Funk, P.E., President of OCT Academy, McClellan, California, was awarded NESHTA's Environment Education Award. Funk has long experience in the water and waste water operator training and certification fields. In 1988 Bob developed OCT, a private, non-profit training school for water and waste water operators in Oregon, later relocating to California when facilities became available. He has authored ninety-seven water-waste water classroom workbooks, practice exams, study modules and related materials since the opening of OCT. Training programs are accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), the U.S. "CEU" provider organization.