Group Email List - Tosaeast1976
We are utilizing the email feature of Google Groups to do our emailings and we have recently added Mailchimp in an attempt to maximize email delivery. We are archiving all the emails right here. Here are the messages we've sent in descending date sequence. Everyone who has given us an email is automatically added to this list. So if you haven't, please send us your email.
If you're familiar with Google Groups, it's generally used as a forum for participants to email postings that are then seen by the entire group. However, we are simply using it for one-way messaging, mostly for important messages of interest to our class including future reunions and obituaries. Using Google Groups as an email server gives us the following: 1) It's free, 2) It hides the emails of the group, and 3) Allows for easy administration of the emails in a secure environment, and not on this website.
Mailchimp is strictly an email blast provider so is not a forum.
Happy New Year!
01/01/2022
Class,
Debbie and I wish our entire class a Happy New Year!
When I'm Sixty-Four
As you see our class has a motto for this year as we've either already hit 64 or will in the coming year. Though it is only in the preliminary stages, we are thinking of a "When I'm Sixty-Four" reunion this coming summer. It will probably be very much like the gathering we had at Hoyt Park in September. Even though the circumstances made the attendance relatively low for the 45th, I believe everyone who could attend had a great time. One measure of that was I got several requests for doing another picnic reunion. My response to this is hopefully predictable: Me and Debbie are all in as long as there's enough support. So I'll have more info in spring and we'll establish a firm date so everyone can plan accordingly.
Spam Update
First off my sincere thanks to the 77 classmates that provided me feedback on my Google Group vs. Mailchimp comparison. The result is there is clearly a problem, but as yet no firm solution. Consequently, I am sending this message out twice as a number of classmates had trouble with one of the lists. And of those who had trouble, it was split fairly evenly between Google and Mailchimp, with the later being slightly better. So going forward I'll continue to utilize both until I get more data. I'll go into detail for those who care to read the explanation. If you don't you can simply skip the rest of this section.
But there is a lot going for Mailchimp, especially from an administrative viewpoint. I get valuable statistics like delivery and whether the email was opened. Here is what it showed in the test:
Emails sent: 283
Emails delivered: 271
Emails opened: 187
What's good is that I know who were the 12 people where no delivery happened. I also know who opened their email. This percentage will be going down in time as more email providers provide an option to block this reporting. Recently, Apple made this available to their users.
In a mix of good and bad news, I discovered that our class is not alone in this spam problem. I'm the webmaster for several clubs including the Milwaukee Astronomical Society and we've suddenly noticed with this elevated spam and dealing with measures to fight it, also resulting in more email in spam folders and also simply blocked. Yes, that's bad, but the good news is since the problem is being experienced presumably everywhere, email providers will find better ways to fight it.
Email Archive
As a reminder all of the messages that are sent are archived on the website. So if you ever wonder if you haven't heard from me for what seems like a long time, you can always check. The direct link to the most recent messages can be found on the class homepage or directly through this link:
www.tosaeast1976/about/google_email.asp
Cardinal News
We have 5 issues of our school newspaper, the Cardinal News, now available on the website. Give them a look!
www.tosaeast1976.com/photos/cardinal_news.asp
Gene Hanson
In Memoriam - Mike Rose and Doug Carlson
01/14/2022
Mike Rose
It is with sadness that I have to report that our classmate, Mike Rose, passed away on January 11th at age 64. Funeral services
will be held at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 5327 W. Washington Blvd., on Monday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. Visitation from 9:30 a.m.
until time of service. Our thoughts and prayers go to Mike's family.
You can see more information at Mike's obituary:
https://www.harderfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Michael-Norman-Rose?obId=23680809#/obituaryInfo
Recent photos of Mike from his Facebook page:
At Tosa Fest during our 40th reunion, I had an opportunity which I couldn't miss: taking a picture of both Mike Roses.
Dave Carlson
Unfortunately, I have more bad news. I was informed recently that our classmate, Doug Carlson, passed away on
August 28, 2021 at age 63. He was living in Estero, Florida.
I could find no detailed obituary info, but he apparently died of pancreatic cancer.
Here's a collage of pictures of Doug taken from his Facebook page. It includes an image of him and our classmate Mark Rasmussen.
This message is being replicated so is going out to the Google Group and Mailchimp to assure the greatest delivery.
In Memoriam - Lori Loessin
02/18/2022
Lori Loessin
It is with sadness that I have to report that our classmate, Lori Loessin, passed away on September 18, 2021 at age 62. Sorry for the
lateness of this notification, but I was only informed a few days ago.
You can find out more information from her obituary:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/lori-loessin-obituary?id=6516193
Though I did not know Lori while we were in school, while I was tracking down classmates before the 40th reunion, I discovered that she had a business, Alterations and Fine Tailoring, which was located in downtown Oconomowoc. At the time me and Debbie were living in Oconomowoc and it was easy walking distance to her store. So I stopped by to introduce myself and invite her to be informed of the coming reunion and hopefully attend.
Recent photos of Lori:
Above is a picture of Lori I found on the internet and this is my recollection of her from my brief visit in 2016 to her shop in Oconomowoc.
Lori with her daughters Lucy and Lydia.
Gmail Spam Update
If you are a gmail user and have been having difficulty receiving emails, specially from my messages through Mailchimp, I have learned that gmail essentially has a secondary spam folder labeled Promotions that apparently many users are aware of, or that perfectly good emails often end up there. As the name implies, they're filtering for promotional content and stuff coming from Mailchimp often looks that way. If you use gmail, please let me know if you find any of my emails in the Promotions folder.
This message is being replicated so is going out to the Google Group and Mailchimp to assure the greatest delivery.
In Memoriam - Teacher Nancy Check
03/02/2022
Teacher Nancy Check
Class,
With sadness I must report to our class the passing of English Teacher Nancy Viola Check. She died on February 20th at age 73 from complications of MS and a stroke.
You can read her obituary here:
https://www.feerickfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-check
The above picture of Nancy Check is from our 11th grade yearbook.
This picture is her in later years.
As usual, our thoughts are with her family.
Gene Hanson
Tosa East Class of '76
When I'm Sixty-Four Reunion - Save the Date
06/18/2022
Class,
We're going to try another small reunion again this coming September because I got more than enough interest in doing another one based on the experience from last year. I got requests from those who attended, many who wished to make it but couldn't, and an unimaginable problem with my emails going either into spam or not delivered at all. Attendance was also affected by COVID. Finally, there was Debbie's realization that we have the perfect tagline: When I'm Sixty-Four.
September 10, 2022
The plan is basically exactly what we did last year. I have reserved Picnic Area #2 at Hoyt Park on Saturday, September 10th. This weekend corresponds to Tosa Fest which occurs Friday and Saturday of that weekend. As this is basically a repeat of the 45th last year, I already have all the details spelled out on the class website, but I'll probably be updating it.
Here are the details as they stand:
Once again we reserved Picnic Area #2 in Hoyt Park. This is one of the two areas closest to the footbridge and within 300 feet of The Landing. Figure on a start time of 2:00PM and it will go on until whenever. Last year it went on until about 8:00PM when it turned dark. Since we've purposely set this up to correspond with Tosa Fest, we expect some of us will head over to Hart Park as that goes on until midnight.
Note: There is no cost to the participants other than your own food and drink. The only hard cost was the picnic area reservation fee, but that was donated.
At this time no other activities are on the agenda, but as stated earlier, Tosa Fest is going on so some will probably go there, especially after our get together at Hoyt.
Here are the facilities and their locations at Hoyt Park:
- Picnic Area 2 has 10 picnic tables, but some shuffling of tables can occur from Area 3 which is adjacent. Though that is probably more than enough tables, we'll want to bring along some camping type chairs. Debbie and I have 8 of them which we will plan to bring along as well as a bean ball toss game. We also solicit any attendees that have pop up tents in case of rain.
- If you remember the old grills, they are completely gone. But what they do have are charcoal barrels for disposal of hot charcoal so people can bring their own grill.
The Landing has 50 large picnic tables that easily hold 8 people each.
- There is a concession stand immediately at The Landing area.
- There are also 2 separate concession stands on either side of the pool (Men's side and Women's side) which serve both the pool area and the park side.
- The menus for The Landing are different from those for on the Men's and Women's sides.
There is entertainment at the stage both on Friday and Saturday night starting at 5:00PM. Also, there will be some sort of food truck.
Keep in mind this is a "bring your own" affair. We are not supplying any food or beverages. We are also not charging anything.
I have a new area on the class website for this 46th (When I'm Sixty-Four) reunion where I have more information and a gallery of pictures of Hoyt. I will be keeping that up to date, but of course I will also be sending out additional emails.
http://www.tosaeast1976.com/ 46th_reunion/index.asp
So for now save the date: September 10, 2022.
Gene Hanson
Wauwatosa East Class of '76
September 10th Reminder
08/12/2022
Class,
This is a reminder that we are about one month out from our "When I'm Sixty-Four" reunion at Hoyt Park on Saturday, September 10th.
We have reserved Picnic Area 2 at Hoyt Park which is just across the bridge that leads to the pool area.
At this time we have not modified our timing so we're set to start at 2:00PM and no set ending time. We understand some will arrive later, but we hope most arrive by 5:00PM because we'll take the group picture around that time.
I will send out another reminder in a day or two before the event. But you can also get all the information from the website in a dedicated 46th section:
http://www.tosaeast1976.com/ 46th_reunion/index.asp
You don't need to RSVP to this reunion and you can literally decide at the last moment to attend.
I plan on sending another reminder in the days before the event. And as what has become the norm, I will also send this message via Mailchimp to assure higher delivery.
Gene Hanson
Wauwatosa East Class of '76
September 10 - Now Just 4 Days
09/06/2022
Class,
We are now just 4 days out from our "When I'm Sixty-Four" together at Hoyt Park this coming Saturday, September 10th!
Weather
We're to the point where the weather forecasts have some credibility. Here are 3 predictions:
Weather Channel: High of 81, low of 59. Partly cloudy, 16% AM chance of rain.
Accuweather: High of 77, low of . Cloudy, 59% chance of a short thunderstorm.
Weather Underground: High of 83, low of 63. Partly cloudy, 10% chance of rain at 2:00PM, our start time.
Not the best we could have hoped for, but far from the worst, and we're still too far out for decent accuracy.
Details
We have reserved Picnic Area 2 in Hoyt Park for our scheduled get together for 4:00PM thru at least 8:00PM. A great aspect for this venue is the close proximity of the pool area, now known as the TOSA Pool at Hoyt Park. This offers us a number of amenities: 3 concession stands (with 2 different menus), a stage which will have music from 5-8 that evening, 50 large picnic tables, and restroom facilities. Of course, in the picnic area it is wise to bring your own food and drink, but it is great to have this alternative. After sundown we will migrate over to The Landing area where there is lighting and picnic tables.
Weather may be an issue and the forecast is showing some possibility of rain. If it looks like it might rain we are asking for anyone who has one to bring a tent. However, staking is not allowed.
Because we have a permit for our picnic area, we are allowed to have beer (cans or bottles) at our picnic site so bring what you'd like. This also means that you can also purchase beer at The Landing and bring it back to the picnic area.
There are no longer grills in any of the county parks, but you are permitted to bring your own. There is a container available on our picnic site for disposal of hot coals, although they do request that they be dowsed in water beforehand.
It might be a good idea to bring camping chairs and possibly camping tables. Amplified music is not permitted. But we will probably hear the sounds of the band from The Landing as the stage is fairly close. But it won't be too loud because those bands don't play very loud and the stage is pointing away from our picnic area.
Parking is available along Menomonee Pkwy or in the Hoyt Pool parking lot.
This is free event! That means the only cost to our classmates will be for their own food and drink. The only hard cost is the picnic area reservations and that has been donated.
No RSVP!
It is not necessary to RSVP. You can literally show up at the last minute. Stop by even if you can't stay long.It shouldn't be a problem to find us, but if there is any difficulty I have my and Debbie's cellphone numbers listed below.
SPAM
I'm trying something new. This message is going out via our Google Group as usual, but I'm also now going to try directly emailing. I'll be using the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) method with the hope that these emails get delivered. This technique allows the emails to be hidden. If this ends up working I'll abandon the Google Group and Mailchimp.
Gene Hanson - 262-XXX-XXXX
Debbie Hetzel - 920-XXX-XXXX
The When I'm Sixty Four reunion this past weekend
09/13/2022
Class,
The "When I'm Sixty Four" (46th) reunion was this past Saturday and I was euphoric with the turnout. The final number was 41 classmates! Also, 9 classmates brought their spouses along. Well, technically it was actually 11 because I brought my spouse along and Debbie brought hers. :) Interestingly, that fifty is exactly what was reserved. That supposedly is the capacity of that picnic area so that was my estimate I used when I made the reservation. But that number is incredibly small because that picnic area can easily accommodate well over 100 and probably 150.
I'm still collecting pictures and I want anyone who attended to send me any pictures they took. When I get them I will put together all of them and will be on the website in the "Past Reunions" section under "46th Reunion".
Group Picture
However, I do have the group picture ready to share and will help everyone as I have a key to the attendees.
2. Nancy Doberstein
3. Sue Kelsall
4. Jean Crabtree
5. Kathy Conole
6. Abby Forbes
7. Annette Gehm
8. John Lichty
9. Juliana Spring
10. Julie (Paul Eisenhauer's wife)
11. Paul Eisenhauer
12. Lee Braem
13. Paula Reichardt
15. Jon Levenhagen
16. Mike Lynch
17. Eileen Keyes
18. Gerry Abshire
19. Sandy Lebesch
20. Kevin Leahy
21. Kim Peterson
22. Frank Powell
23. Debbie Weir
24. Tod Shouse
25. April Bergemann
27. John Rogge
28. Mary Lindl
29. Joan Marotte
30. Bob Rech
31. Paul Seitz
32. Pat Hunt
33. Julie Zanio
34. Tom Boyle
35. Debbie Hetzel
36. Gene Hanson
37. Gayle Urban
Not Pictured:
Jeff Hackett (left early), Late arrivals: Harry Profio, Susan Volz, Sue Gagan, Parry Cartier
Fallen Classmates
I was asked by a few classmates at the reunion if there was anyone who passed away recently. The answer is no and the reason I gave is I have a network of informants (the class) whenever I get word of any death, I will send out an announcement. So if you do get word of a death of any classmates, please let me know so I can pass the word.
Spam
As you no doubt have gathered, I'm obsessed with my spam problem. But my latest attempt at assuring the greatest delivery of my messages seems to be successful. I will be utilizing the BCC method going forward. This makes it look to your email service that it is an individual email (so not part of an email blast) and from an individual who's probably on your white list because I've sent you messages before.
I also get immediate undeliverable messages. I now have a number of classmates without an email and I'll now research to see if I can get a new one. The biggest issue is with classmates using their employers' email. Since many are reaching retirement you will lose that email, eventually. I fully understand that it is usually convenient to use that email and if so, please continue to use it. But I don't mind having more than one email. If you're using your work email please consider giving me another which I will not use but hold in reserve and activate should the other one suddenly stop working.
I am once again replicating this message via the Google Group list. I appreciate knowing if you don't receive that message. If it's not there be sure to check your Spam or Promotions folder as it might have landed there. My gmail is also on the list and *I* don't get my own message! If I get near universal delivery from this method, I will stop using Google and everyone will then just receive one message!
Gene
Click here to see the messages sent in 2020-2021
Click here to see the messages sent in 2019
Click here to see the messages sent in 2018
Click here to see the messages sent in 2017
Click here to see the messages sent in 2016