Dee Hacker Stevens

While I'm reminiscing, here are two columns from the Gastronome series that I wrote for the Rim Country Gazette. The Roquefort column is dedicated to my father and mentions Acalanes High School, The second relates to 1962 when I was a flight steward for Pan American. I have more columns is anyone is interested.

Best Wishes and Bon Appetit,

Gary Bedsworth,  Class of '57

Way back before anybody can remember . . . there was a kid named Freddie who could play the trombone.  Well you know . . . high school band stuff, marching around, pep rallies before football games, straw hat bands at the basketball games, the Operetta, the Musanse, Christmas Concerts, Choral presentations and even solos.  Well, once upon a time, he went East and played the horn in all kinds of groups and wound up in traditional jazz (as Rush says, "for all of you in Rio Linda", it's Dixieland music) on the one hand, and then "long hair" low brass Classical charts on the other (you can listen here).  So how in the Hell did he . . . or could anyone . . .  get involved in Country Music???  Well, it's a very long story for sure.  In any event, songs were written . . . and played . . . and performed . . . But not really "Country".  It was more a "Bluegrass" style with the acoustic guitar a big part of the transition.  

Beginning in 1970, Freddie remarried and embarked on a new direction.  He teamed up with a real country singer, Ruth Dobbs, and formed a duo called . . . if you can believe it . . . "Adam and Eve"!  Not too original, eh? . . . (click on the flyer to make it big) but nevertheless, effective.  Among many songs that were sung and written and invented, and copyrighted, and sent to Music City . . . one has been discovered after decades being imbedded (lost) in the middle of an undocumented reel of tape.  So you can see how people can deviate through life. Listen to the recording titled, "Yesterday's Dream" by Ruth and Fred Arbogast.  I'd say it's kind-of "misty bluegrass".  I'm pick'n the guitar (double thumb) and sing'n the high harmony.  Ruth is do'n a great job on the lead . . . and yea . . . the way "little Freddie" looked, back in them days is just like you see here on this page.  This was May 1972.  Time flies when you're hav'n fun!  So hope you-all will enjoy listening to it.  Click Here and sit back.

In 2019 we found additional missing reel-to-reel tapes containing the Original Adam 'n Eve Recordings.  So we produced a CD with 31 Songs, 12 of which were written by Ruth and me (Fred).  Listen to all these Sounds of the Early '70s on a new Web Page, performed by Adam 'n Eve . . . https://ane.50th-reunion.com

Fred Arbogast

GARY

I was just 5 years old when it happened.  The accident.  I didn’t know at the time how many lives would forever be changed.

I honestly don’t remember very much from that night. For some reason, I do remember that my Mom had on really strange looking white pajamas.  After the phone call came in, we went to pick up Joan and my parents told me I could sleep on her lap in the backseat.  I thought that was a good idea – I was quite fond of her.  All I knew at the time was that Gary had been in an accident…and then I must have gone into shut down mode because that is all I remember about that evening.

I spent most of my adult life wondering what happened to Joan.  Sometimes my husband and I would drive by her house in Lafayette, but I never had the courage to knock on the door.  Whenever I met someone with the last name of ‘Whalen’, I would ask if there was a relative with the name of Joan in their family….but no, I never found her.

Fast forward to October 21, 2009.  I was packing for a girls trip to Puerto Vallarta the next day…one of my girlfriends was ‘finally’ turning 50 and we were going to rent a villa and celebrate.  I went to my home office to get a book for the trip and it was there I saw the yearbook photo of Gary in his football jersey.

(I will take a slight detour right now to thank my best friend from college, Bobbe Bartlett, and her cousin.  It was her cousin, Marilyn Bartlett (Acalanes Class of ’58) who loaned me her ’56 Aklan.  I copied all of the photos I could find of Gary and Joan…there were a lot!)

Anyway, as I was looking at Gary’s football photo (Aklan page 54['55 Aklan]), I wondered if his jersey number was the same number as our boys when they were in high school at Monte Vista in Danville. Tommy was #28 and Charlie was #80; in college Tommy was #34.   In this particular photo, Gary was #36.  Well, I just happened to glance at the photo of the young man to the left of Gary and the name showed Pete Villa.  That is when I almost fainted!

Back in 2003 our son, Tommy, won a very prestigious award his senior year of high school.  He won the Pete Villa Award for being the most outstanding high school football player in the Valley.  This is like winning the  Heisman Trophy in our neck of the woods. 

So, at long last I had found a connection to Gary and Joan!  Unbelievable!  So, what did I do?  Ran to the computer, of course…and I googled ‘Pete Villa’.  If I had been more proficient at the computer, I probably could have found him right then and there.  What I did find was an article about him in the Danville Weekly/Danville Express.  I sent an e-mail to the editor, Dolores Ciardelli, in the hopes she could help me out.  She did!  Dolores e-mailed Vic Georgiou of the Danville Rotary (who sponsors the Pete Villa Award) and upon returning from my trip there was an e-mail from Vic saying that he had talked to Pete and that Pete would like to talk to me…and most importantly, that he and Gary had been good friends!

The next day I made the phone call to Pete Villa and the rest is history.  We talked and talked (well, he talked and talked – he was the one with all the stories!) Not long after that first conversation, Pete, Ernie Petrucci, and I got together for lunch and I heard about even more  Gary adventures….and sadly, also more details about the accident.

Pete was able to track down Joan’s whereabouts.  In November of 2009 I dialed her number in Idaho and finally, after many decades, talked to Joan Whalen.  In a perfect world, she would be my sister in-law.  It was incredibly special talking to her after so much time…

I am hoping we can reconnect in person at the Class of ’56 Reunion in September.

I will definitely bring some tissues with me….writing this is making me think of how different our lives could have been….

You are all the lucky ones….you knew Gary….if you have any stories to share, please send me an e-mail or a note.  My family (and I) would love to learn more about this wonderful man!

E-mail:  joyce_haug@hotmail.com

                Or

PO Box 259, Diablo, CA  94528

See you in September!

Joyce Haug

Pat Bacon Brothen and her husband, Bill, are really enjoying their "golden years".  They now live outside of Auburn, CA after spending a lot of time in Minnesota.  Just take a look at them on the motorcycle in their "Muggers" Review  picture.  Pat says that the Indian Chief is his favorite bike (mine too) and really likes the Vincent Black Shadow. They have a couple of daughters, one who lives close by in Twain Harte, who have spent time up at Bear Valley . . . and that's where I ski now.  Pat and Bill like to go to the Sacramento Jazz Festival and really "dig" Dixieland music.  Of course we know it as "Traditional Jazz" . . . hahaha.  And, Pat plays the guitar and the uke in the Mississippi Delta Blues style.  I think we need a performance some time!  And now we find out Pat's talents don't stop there.  She's an accomplished artist too.  She's been interested in an old historic building outside of Angels Camp, CA . . . the Remaldi Building . . . and hopes to paint it when completely restored.  I think she said it used to be an old pony express stop . . . reminds me of the old Van Meter house that sat right where the Safeway currently does in Lafayette.  Pat has sold 650 paintings so she was very busy during those long winter days in Minnesota.  She claims it kept her out of trouble . . . hahaha.  Pat still participates in California shows and sells commissioned work.  Pat is truly an artisan to be admired, and still enjoying life.  Here are a few samples of her work.                    compiled by Freddie

The group consisted of Bob Long ('56) on Tenor Sax and Clarinet, Harry Noller ('56) on Alto Sax and Clarinet, Mario Guarneri (not in High School yet) on Trumpet, Dick Pape ('55) on Drums, Ed Rinne ('57) on String Bass, and Bob Johnson ('56) on Piano.  As a group we were together playing for dances for about 5 years or so around and during the time of our "Acalanes Years".  Almost without fail, when we finished playing, we'd head straight to Freddie's to finish off the evening with pizza before going home.  The Orindians added a few more players to form a Jazz Band.  And, Bob Johnson recovered a certain Orinda recording of a Dixieland Band, the audio of which is here on the website.  A very musical bunch of kids!!!

To: Sandy (Sam Planz) & Fred Arbogast 

From: Gail (Hanson) and Scotty Ruff "

". . .We just received a card and letter from Betty Hansen in which she explains that Dick has been moved into their "memory care" facility recently because he has evidently been having some serious problems and needs 24/7 care...just wanted to let you know in case you aren't corresponding with them, and we appreciate that you like to keep up on these things. . . ."

12/15/2011 

To: Gail (Hanson) and Scotty Ruff 

From: Sandy (Sam Planz) Arbogast

" . . . We, too, got Betty Hansen's holiday letter. How sad to watch the slow deterioration of a man who was so involved with changing our lives as students and such a dynamic person. He has been one of my all time favorites and after graduation I continued to see him at least once a year and attend his concerts or those in his honor as the years rolled on and I was in the country and not overseas in the military. We exchanged Christmas cards every year and he always wrote a personal note until his first stroke. Here is a story you may or may not know about:

Sometime in the early 80s Dick Hansen and Dick Mayes retired on the same day. Several of Dick Hansen's former students who had gone on to be directors, got a hold of as many of us from the Acapella Choirs of the past who they could find. They then sent us music to learn and practice ahead of time for what would be a surprise concert for the retirement lunch.

We all showed up at the music room in the early morning hours of the retirement day to rehearse . It was amazing to see people , like Bill Wadman and others, who I hadn't seen since they graduated from Acalanes.

The plan was that a retirement luncheon was to be held in the music room at noon to honor both Hansen and Mayes. After the meal, we the members of former choirs would come in as a surprise and sing a number or 2 led by the guy who had gotten us together . Then he would ask Dick to come up and lead us in a final number which had always been one of Dick's favorites.

It went off like clockwork. Dick was stunned and really moved and we felt like we had stepped back in time. AND WE SANG WELL by gosh!

After it was all over, Dick and Betty and the choir drove over to the Concord Inn and sat in the bar to reminisce. At one point I went up to Dick and asked him to sign my 1952 Aklan. He had been named the teacher who had done so much for the school that year and the year book was dedicated to him. I had been watching him that year and was so impressed. But I was not in the music dept then so I was too shy to go up and have him sign my yearbook.

When I told him I had brought that year book with me, he smiled and laughed in amazement. Then he took me into the lobby where it was quiet and we had a long talk about music and the way the world and teaching were going.

He signed my Aklan, then took me back to the bar and bought me and himself a Scotch on the Rocks . We hugged each other and toasted the past and the future.

I can tell you it was a magical day for me. Dick had been a big part of my life in my junior year and I learned a lot about myself , my talents and abilities because of him. That period of time was the beginning of who I would become later in life.

I am sooooo glad I was able to get him and Betty to our 50th reunion where he could see and meet so many people who had been impacted by his presence in their lives. . . ."