West Valley Inducts 7

Sat., June 6, 1998

By Marny Lombard marnyl@spokesman.com (509) 927-2166

The West Valley High School Hall of Fame is going to grow by several PhDs this year.

The West Valley High School Alumni Association will induct its second round of honorees next Saturday, with a luncheon and ceremony.

The event is to start at noon at the Valley DoubleTree Hotel. Cost is $10.50. Reservations must be received by Monday. Call organizer Wally Heidenson at 926-6999 for more information or to make a reservation.

The honorees include the following: Elmer Johnson, Class of 1937, who flew 65 bombing missions during World War II, and was a longtime West Valley teacher and coach.

Betty Jo Burton Dupin, Class of ‘38, a former soprano soloist, voice instructor and professor of music at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Jerry Harrington, Class of ‘39, who is internationally known for his work in global food production. Harrington has served as head of the IRI Research Institute, which has helped improve production of coffee, tea, wheat, cotton, sunflowers and rice in Third World nations.

Roy Betlach, Class of ‘41, former chief of the Washington State Patrol.

Joel Daly, Class of ‘52, former ABC News anchor in Chicago, and news correspondent who covered the Middle East and Asia, as well as major news events in the United States.

Don Rapp, Class of ‘53, who has his doctorate of education and is a professor of special education at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts and former consultant to the American Foundation of Blind.

Dennis Snook, Class of ‘62, who has a doctorate in government and philosophy, and works as a senior analyst at the Library of Congress. In the 1980s, Snook headed the team that designed today’s retirement system for federal workers.

Organizers expect four of the seven honorees to attend.

The alumni association has grown in its second year. It sends a newsletter to almost 6,000 people.

All-class reunion The West Valley High School Alumni Association is planning an all-class reunion for August 1999. In preparation for that, organizers want to put together a history of West Valley High School. Anyone interested in helping with that effort is asked to attend a meeting at 7 p.m., June 16, at the high school. Organizer Wally Heidenson said the group is still looking for alumni lists for the classes of 1925, ‘26, ‘27, ‘31, ‘50, ‘56, ‘59, ‘66, ‘79, ‘80, ‘81, ‘83 and ‘85. Anyone with contact to individuals in those classes is asked to contact Heidenson at 926-6999.

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