Monte Olmsted's

World,National & Local News Events of

1980-81 School Year

• Aug. 4: In a report to a Senate committee investigating his brother's ties to Libya, President Carter stated that Billy Carter had no influence on American policy and none of the $220,000 allegedly paid to Billy by the Khaddafi regime came either to the president or the family's peanut business.

• Sept. 22: The Iran-Iraq border conflict turns into a full-scale war.

• Oct. 3: Muhammad Ali loses in his bid to regain the heavyweight boxing title from Larry Holmes in Las Vegas. The former champ is advised to retire.

• Nov. 4: Ronald Reagan is elected 40th president of the United States. Reagan earned 51 percent of the vote and 489 electoral votes. Carter received 41 percent of the vote.   The Republicans also gained control of the Senate. After taking office, the devoutly conservative Reagan proceeds to cut taxes and government spending,  but also beefs up the defense budget. During the beginning of Reagan's presidency, inflation eases to just below the double digits, and interest rates soar to new highs by the middle of 1981. (The prime interest rate climbs to more than 20 percent.) Unemployment jumps to more than 8 percent.

• Dec. 8: Former Beatle John Lennon, 40, is shot and killed outside his apartment in New York City. Assassin Mark David Chapman admits to firing five .38 bullets into Lennon.

• Jan. 20: Minutes after Reagan's presidential inauguration, the 52 Americans held hostage for 444 days at the American Embassy in Tehran, Iran by Muslim fundamentalists are flown to freedom following an agreement in which the United States agrees to return to Iran $8 billion in frozen assets.

• March 1981: AIDS virus surfaces and identified in the United States. A drug
  technician for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notices an unusually
  high number of requests for the drug pentamidine used in the treatment of
  pneumocystis carinii pneumonis (PCP). This led to a scientific report of
  PCP occurring in five gay Los Angeles men. Later in the year, the first
  cases of PCP appear in drug addicts. Clinical investigators also observe an
  alarming rate of rare cancer, Kaposi's Sarcoma, in otherwise healthy gay
  men. The disease is first called "gay cancer" but renamed GRID-"gay-related
  immune deficiency." The CDC commissions first AIDS task force in June. In
  July, the first press reports appears on the syndrome in the New York Times.

• March 6: Walter Cronkite's last day as principal anchorman of The CBS
  Evening News. He continues to work for CBS in other news and information
  assignments. Days later, Dan Rather becomes his replacement.

• March 30: President Reagan is shot in the chest by a would-be assassin outside the Washington Hilton as he walked to his limousine following an AFL-CIO address. The 70-year-old president recovers after surgery to remove a bullet from his left lung. John Hinckley Jr., 25, the son of a Denver-area oil tycoon is arrested. In a series of letters to teen actress Jodie Foster, Hinckley said his unrequited love for her might lead him to do something that would make him famous.

• April 12: The 75-ton U.S. space shuttle Columbia, the world's first reusable spacecraft, launches from Florida into space. The Columbia completes is 54-hour mission and lands in the Mojave Desert in California.

• May 13: While greeting pilgrims from his jeep in St. Peter's Square in Rome, Pope John Paul II is shot in the stomach. Two bystanders also are wounded. The 61-year-old pope survives a 4 ½ hour operation. Would-be assassin Mehmet Ali Agca, an escaped Turkish murderer, claimed his actions were in protest of the imperialism of the Soviet Union and United States.

• July 4: Americans sweep the singles titles at Wimbledon. John McEnroe wins the men's division, defeating five-time champion Bjorn Borg, while Chris Evert Lloyd wins the women's title.

• July 29: Great Britain celebrates a national holiday to mark the royal
  wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

• Aug. 1: Warner Communications launches MTV-a 24-hour a day music video
  network--with "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.

• Aug. 3: About 12,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization walk off the job in dispute over pay and working conditions. President Reagan gives them one day to return to work. When they don't, Reagan fires them all.

• Aug. 13: IBM announces the IBM 5150 PC personal computer in New York. The
  computer is perhaps the first to wear the PC label, but there is debate to
  when the first personal computer was introduced. Was it the IBM PC? "Simon"
  made by Berkeley Enterprises in 1950? Or the Altair 8800 from 1984?

• Nov. 4, 1980: Riding on the coat-tails of Reagan, two-term Attorney General Allen Olson, a Republican, upsets two-term Gov. Art Link by a vote of 162,230 to 140,391.

• The 1981 North Dakota legislature loosens gambling laws and legalizes blackjack, meaning more money for charities in the state. The law specifies that most of the profit from gambling ventures must be turned over to charity.

• Academy Awards Best Picture: Ordinary People Best Actor: Robert DeNiro in "Raging Bull" Best Actress: Sissy Spacek in "Coal Miner's Daughter"
• Top Movies were Urban Cowboy, The Blues Brothers, Fame, Honeysuckle
  Rose, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Caddyshack.

• Aug. 1: Character actor Strother Martin dies of a heart attack at 61. Martin
  acted in such films as "The Wild Bunch" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
  Kid," but was best known for his role as the sadistic warden in the 1967
  chain gang prison flick "Cool Hand Luke" starring Paul Newman. Martin's
  character declared the famous line, "What we've got here is failure to
  communicate."

• Sept. 15: Jazz pianist Bill Evans, 51, dies in New York.

• Sept. 18: American author Katherine Anne Porter, best known for her novel
  "Ship of Fools," dies at 90.

• Sept. 25: Led Zeppelin drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham, 32, dies from asphyxiation by his own vomit during a coma induced by some 40 measures of vodka. Heavy metal pioneers Led Zeppelin disbands soon after.

• Oct. 10: William "Buckwheat" Thomas, famed child actor in the Our Gang film
  series, dies at 49. Thomas was the most durable of the Little Rascals, with
  his pigtails, patched gingham clothing and name after a breakfast food.
  Comedian Eddie Murphy gained fame portraying "Buckwheat" on Saturday Night
  Live.

• Nov. 7: Film star Steve McQueen dies of heart attack at 50 while undergoing controversial treatment for lung cancer

• Nov. 22: Actress, comedienne and sex goddess Mae West dies at 88. With a film career that peaked in the 1930s, West was viewed as too risqué and independent for the time. Her famous quotes include "Come up and see me sometime," and "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"

• Dec. 8: John Lennon

• Dec. 16: Col. Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, dies
  from leukemia at 90. An American fast food pioneer, Sanders perfected his
  "finger lickin' good" recipe that was said to contain 11 herbs and spices.
  Millions of his buckets of chicken have been sold, but lab results of his
  chicken disclosed only the seasonings of salt, pepper and monosodium
  glutamate.

• Jan. 8: Matthew "Stymie" Beard Jr., famed child actor in the Our Gang film
  series, dies at 56. At age five, Beard began acting in the series later
  dubbed "The Little Rascals." The derby-hatted, bald-headed "Stymie" often
  outwitted the adult protagonists in the series.

• Jan. 23: American composer Samuel Barber, 70, dies. Barber is best known for his piece "Adagio for Strings," which was later featured prominently in the 1986 film "Platoon."

• Feb. 9: Musician Bill Haley, 56, dies in Texas. Haley boosted the rock 'n' roll craze with the hit "Rock Around the Clock" in the 1955.

• April 8: Gen. Omar Bradley, the five-star general who commanded the U.S.
  12th Army Group in Europe during World War II, dies at 88. Bradley's troops
  broke out of the Normandy beachhead and liberated Paris.

• April 12: Former heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis, 66, dies of a heart attack in Las Vegas. Known as "The Brown Bomber," Louis held the title from 1937-49.

• May 11: Musician Bob Marley, 36, Jamaican folk hero and reggae champ dies
  from cancer in Miami.

• July 16: Musician Harry Chapin, 38, is killed in Long Island when his car collides with a truck. His songs included "Cat's in the Cradle" and "Taxi."

• Aug. 26: Actor and misguided Macaulay Culkin, who shot to fame with the 1990 film "Home Alone," about a resourceful youth who gets left behind when his family takes a European vacation.

• Sept. 30: The world's top-ranked female tennis player, Martina Hingis, who lives in Switzerland.

• Nov. 17: Isaac Hanson, guitarist and eldest brother of the all-sibling pop group Hanson, best known for the annoying song, "Mmm-Bop."

• Dec. 18: American teen pop star Christina Aguilera.

• Jan. 29: North Dakota native and blues guitarist prodigy Jonny Lang. The
  young Lang was born Jon Langseth and hailed from both Casselton and Fargo.

• Feb. 17: Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, best known for his role as a mature alien passing as a human teen-ager on NBC's "3rd Rock from the Sun."

• June 7: Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova. The young Kournikova has received more attention for her looks rather than her tennis abilities.

• June 9: Actress Natalie Portman, who gained fame as Queen Amidala in the 1999 Star Wars prequel known as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Lauri (Reed) Eckmann's

High School News Events of

1980-81 School Year

These events are not in chronological order

• Our Junior Prom was held on April 19, 1980, at the Holiday Inn. Our theme was
  "Hold On To Your Dream." The band Fire and Shame played a variety of music to
  which the couples danced the night away. 12 students received Prom keys for their
  help in putting the prom together, they were Kaaren Chase, Lori Ford, Scott Gefroh,
  Terry Lipp, Lisa Falocner, Martha Gilchrist, Julie Mjolsness, Laura McDaniel, Robin Middaugh, Dana Scheck, Ginny Siaki, and Margret Dockter.

• Senior Class Officers include; Scott Gefroh, President, Dana Scheck, Vice President, Julie Mjolsness, treasurer, and Lori Ford, Secretary.

• Homecoming was held Friday Oct. 10th , 1980. The games was against the much
  hated Dickinson Midgets, (we lost 49-45). The Homecoming Queen and her court
  was chosen on October 9th. at Simle Junior High. Margret Dockter was named
  Homecoming Queen and was attended by Roxanne Delaney, Tami Lund, Karla
  Gallagher and Wendy Cleveland. Other candidates include Jean Dunn, Laurie
  Eggebraten, Lisa Falconer, Megan Gerboth, Martha Gilchrist, Lauri Reed, Laura
  Gulbrandson, Michelle LaBere, Kelly Malard, Dana Scheck, Kay Scott, and Paula
  Springan.

• The Phantom of the Opera was performed by BHS-CHS during Nov., 1981. BHS
  seniors participating include: Kelly Weigel, Laura Graham, Wendy Halpern, Deb Kirpach, Crystal Swenson, Maren Swenson and Jean Walton.

• Semi-finalists for the 1981 National Merit Scholarship include Lance Haag, Lori
  Jameson and Crystal Swenson.

• Claire Gervais and Phillip Leer are nominated for the McDonald's All-American
  Band.

• Kaye Biebelheimer, Wendy Cleveland and Dee Flowers are members of the Heart Butte Water Ski Show.

• The BHS Wrestling team rallies from behind to win it's 15th straight Bismarck Rotary Tournament, Nov. 28-29, 1980. Winning championships were seniors Mark
  Hanson(119), Steve Imhoff(138). Placing third was Mike Scheirmeister(145) and
  Dwight Weisz(132) placed fifth and also participating was Robert Schmitz.

• BHS Girls Basketball team finished with a record of 11-8, following the Regional
  Tournament which was held in Minot on November 6-8, 1980. Seniors participating
  include Martha Gilchrist also named MVP and named to the All-State team, Brenda
  Jundt, Terri Albrecht (hustle award), Janene Dietz, Robin Middaugh, Jody Ismer,
  Val Hinds, Lori Ford, Rhonda Levin, and Mary Wolf. Martha was also named
  Female Athlete of the Year by the Bismarck Quarterback Club.

• All-Conference Football Players include Myles Bosch, Mike Scheirmeister, Mark
  Walker, Todd Jueth, Charlie Ellingson, and Wally Keller. Senior team members
  include; the above mentioned and Blaine Clausnitzer, Terry Harris, Eric Fernandez,
  Jon Western, Lance Haag, Dirk Keinzle, Tom Roe, Todd Zerfos, and Robert
  Schmitz.

• Girls Golf team places 3rd at the State Tournament on Oct. 4, 1980. Seniors include
  Della Boutrous, Lori Jamison, Paula Springan, and Wendy Cleveland.

• Boys Golf Team places second at the State Meet, seniors include, Bill Lucas, Todd
  Mckinnon, Dave Gregware, Eric Ormseth, Derrick Lindeman, and Scott Jacobson.
  Boys Tennis Team places fourth in the state tournament in Fargo, Oct. 10-11, 1980.
  Seniors participating include Chuck Merritt, John Brintnell, Bruce Rudrud, Darryl
  Feist, Basil Hipple, Chris Andrews, and Bruce Sanborn.

• The Boys Cross Country Team places fourth at the State Meet in Valley City, in Oct.
  of 1980. Seniors include Steve Kubisiak, Bryon Weichel, Doug Arnts, and Scott
  Brandt. The Girls Cross Country team included seniors Kay Scott, Carol Faller, Liz
  Tippet, and Laurie Paul.

• Volleyball team ends the season with a 9-8 record. Seniors include Rhonda Levin,
  voted best all-around player, Janene Dietz, dubbed the most valuable player, Kay
  Scott, and Barb Matejcek.

• The Hockey teams ends their season at .500. Mike Duffey was named most valuable
  player, Steve Leech received Hustle award, Blaine Clausnitzer got the playmaker
  award, other participating seniors include George Piehl, Chris Grondahl, Larry
  Kessler, Bill Lucas, Charlie Ellingson, Bruce Rudrud.

• The Boys Basketball team did not do as well in 1980 as in previous years, but Keith
  Remmich was given the Hustle Award. Other seniors include Wally Keller, Doug
  Thomas, and Troy Bernhardt.

• The 15th Annual All-State Band, Orchestra and Chorus festival was held at Mary
  College during March of 1981.. Those seniors in attendance included; Doug Arnts,
  Shelly Bernhardt, Phillip Leer, Sherri Nordstrom from Concert Band, Jean Dunn,
  Claire Gervias, Crystal Swenson from Orchestra and Paul Mundell from Chorus.

• BHS wrestling team won it's fourth straight state title, it's ninth in ten years. Winning
  WDA Championships on Feb. 21, for BHS were Leroy McCormick(126), Steve
  Imhoff(132), and Mike Schiermeister(145). Mark Hanson(119) and Jay Yeager(138) nabbed thirds. At the state tournament on Feb 27-28, 1981, McCormick and Imhoff took first place, Imhoff's second state title. Hanson took third, Schiermeister placed fifth, and Yeager was eliminated from the tournament because he had to be hospitalized with blood poisoning. Upon winning the state title the Demon Wrestlers were named Athletes of the Week by the Bismarck Tribune.

• The BHS girl's track team began the season successfully by placing second in the
  Western Indoor Track Meet which was held on March 20. 1981. Senior Lauri
  Eggebraten placed second in the hurdles, Laurie Paul placed second in the long jump and was part of the 1600-meter relay team which also placed second. At the State Track Meet in late spring they once again placed second. Other seniors participating included; Kay Scott, and Liz Tippet,

• Commencement was held on May 26, 1981 at the Bismarck Civic Center with 403
  members graduating. Class valedictorians were Della Boutrous, Lori Ford, Crystal
  Swenson, Maren Swenson, Terri Albrecht, Martha Gilchrist and Jody Ismir.