Gary Lawson '70

"Grumpy Old Ranger"

This 4 minute audio clip was captured during the Class of '70 20-Year Reunion in 1990.  The "Grumpy Old Man" played by Gary Lawson compares Hale then and now, and recalls some funny memories of school life at Hale during the 70's.

We think every student at Hale today should listen to it - it would give them a glimpse at what a great school Hale has been through the years, and why we are STILL proud to be Rangers.

Ranger Trivia

Did you know......

that The Steve Pryor Band, featuring David Busey on keyboards
made a short, but impressive appearance in the bar scene in the 1992 movie,
"The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag"?

7 screenshots

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Want a copy of the bar scene clip from the movie?
Contact us with your grad year, and we'll email it to you.
info@nathanhalealumni.org

Larry Brown plays drums and sings lead vocals with the popular ReTroSpecT Band.  They will be entertaining the Class of '70 on Saturday night, June 25th, at the 35-Year Reunion.

Visit the band's website to learn more about the band, their history and where they're playing next.

photo courtesy of www.retrospectband.org

Debbie Rodgers-Miller will not be able to attend her 35-Year Reunion this June because she will be in Illinois competing in a National 3-D Archery Competition.

Debbie writes, "3-D archery is like hunting except you shoot foam targets in the woods.  The targets are life size of various animals such a bear, deer, turkey, etc.  You walk through the course, guess the range of the target, and shoot your arrow.  There are areas marked on the animal that count points.  The closer to the kill zone, the higher the points.  There are various classes for men and women and you compete with the folks in your class.  I am in the Senior Women's Division.  My partner is the Texas State Champion and I came in 4th last year.  We go to all the National Shoots and the World Competitions.  Currently, I have qualified for the Texas State Championship and Oklahoma State Championship.  (By the way, the Oklahoma State Championship will be held in Sand Springs this year.) 

I used to hunt with a gun but now only bow hunt for deer and turkey.  I live next to a 12,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge that has World Class deer.  Unfortunately, they are kind of like my babies so I just take pictures of them.  That is my other hobby, wildlife photography.  I have all kinds of pictures of different wildlife.....ducks, geese, deer, turkey, etc.   I hope to retire soon and just take up a new line of work.....wildlife photography!"

Donna Offill-Kohler only attended Hale during 10th grade and would have graduated with the Class of '70, but moved to St. Louis in 1968.  She has an inspiring story to tell:

-Courtesy of KSDK News Channel 5, St. Louis - After 22 years, Donna and Jim Boley appeared like any other couple. It wasn't the worst marriage, it wasn't the best.  But little did Donna know what was going on under the surface, hate and greed.

Beginning in 1991 Jim started poisoning Donna, putting arsenic in her milk and her food. She knew she was feeling ill but he refused to take her to the doctor. "Every time he brought me food there was rat poison in it and in my milk, that's what gave him away," explained Donna.

In 1995 Jim was sentenced to life in prison. But he didn't stop there. From behind bars he tried to hire a hit man to kill Donna and a St. Louis County prosecutor. "He was ordering a hit like he was ordering a pizza," said this mother of two.

But the hit man was actually an undercover police officer. The conversation was caught on tape and used against Boley for another life conviction. But Donna continues to look over her shoulder. She admits, " It scares me that I'm going to look over and find a gun staring at me."

But over the last decade a lot of good things have happened. Physically she still suffers from the side effects of the arsenic. She has the bones of an 80-year old, skin cancer and extreme trouble walking and using her hands.

But she has found happiness. Donna has remarried and continues to teach school in the Normandy School District. Donna is very grateful to the district for standing by her during a difficult time. She also has her own website and hopes to help other people get through adversity. "If they have problems they can think about me and think if she can make it through that I can make it through what I need to do,'' explained Donna.

You can reach her at her website www.donna.earth2.net

Mark Radcliffe, Class of '70, has been the executive producer of the three very popular Harry Potter films.  Mark got his industry start in California after college (TU).  He had just finished working as an Assistant Director on the movie, "Escape Artist" in 1982 and was in the process of moving back to Tulsa, when Francis Ford Coppola asked him to be Assistant Director for "The Outsiders", which was to be filmed in Tulsa.

Mark was an Assistant Director on the following list of films: "Rumble Fish", "Blue City", "Peggy Sue Got Married", "Light of Day", "Plane, Trains & Automobiles", "She's Having a Baby", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Mystic Pizza", "Nightbreaker", "Ghost", "Men at Work", "Home Alone", and "Only the Lonely".

He has been the Producer of these films: "Home Alone", "Only the Lonely", "Home Alone 2", "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Nine Months", "Jingle All the Way", "Stepmom",  "Bicentennial Man", "Monkeybone", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".  His biography also lists 3 films that are about to be released:  "Christmas with the Kranks" (2004 release); "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005 release); "Will Sebastian" (2005 release).