Carleton C.A.V.E. Experience and Visit with Burt Saxon Carleton 1969

 Every 5 years, Carleton College invites class members, alumni, to return to campus in August, as volunteers to envision our reunion for June in 2014.  Here is Denise's car, a Volvo that she asked me to drive to watch the transmission while she is recovering from surgery.  I was able to pick up Burt Saxon at the MSP airport on Thursday, and we went to Minnehaha Falls for lunch and a walk to the Mississippi River and a drive to downtown before taking the roads south to Northfield and Carleton and checking into our dorm, Watson Hall!.

 Here is the Weitz Center of Creativity from the old Northfield High School front on Union Street.

 The main entrance of the Weitz Center facing north toward the main Carleton Campus.  Wonderful to know a man from the Class of 1970 who lives in Omaha NE gave a gift to the college to support the creativity of students and even some of us alumni who return to support the mission and vision of the liberal arts college.

Some of the members of the Class of 1969 committee who stepped up to organize our reunion next year.  Eldon Spencer, Linda Tapsak, Brad Lewis, Burt Saxon, Robin Grawe and John Linner in the entry space of the Weitz Center. 

Eld Spencer with other classes in the background. 

 Robin, Linda, Starr Tomczak with Eldon at the table.

Steve Poskanzer current Carleton President sharing the current issues up for the college. He spent about an hour with us on Saturday morning.  Later in the day he hosted all the classes at his home, the Nutting House on Union Street. 

 Here is one of the rooms in the Weitz Center outfitted with the latest Mac big screen computers where Starr and I learned about the on line portals for Carleton Alumni.

 Some of the committee Helene (Reichgott) Johnson, Burt Saxon, Tom Weaver, Robin (Jaeckle) Grawe, John Linner, Starr Tomczak, Brad Lewis and Eldon Spencer.
 

Sunday morning Burt and I met Bruce, who teaches in the econ department at Carleton when I drove by Laird Stadium and parked behind the West Gym 

We walked behind the new rec center and discovered this memorial for Mel Taube, Burts baseball coach at Carleton near the baseball facilities. 

Seeing this memorial triggered some stories from Burt!

Downtown, back at the Blue Monday's Cafe, Bob Aby '67 met with Burt to share stories about baseball

 

One of Burt's goals was to visit some family property near Austin that has been in his family since the early 1970's.  On the west side of Hwy 218 is his son's property looking across at the property Burt and his brother own. 

Here at the buildings on the west side of 218.

And the land on the east side, that was planted with oats, a nurse crop this spring as there was late snow and a lot of rain, according to Bruce and Dave Nelsen whom we met at a local restaurant in Austin. 

Pole building on the west side with Burt and soy beans.

Walnut tree looking east. 

Burt in front of the Spam Museum in Austin. 

Wind power farm north on MN 56 as we travelled back to the Cities.