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San Pedro High SchoolClass of 1973Welcome Pirates, Buccaneers and PrivateersAhoy Mateys!!! Shiver Me Timbers!!SPHS Class of '73 50-Year Reunion Celebration Was a Success!!!Pirate Classmates traveled the globe from far and wide to join several of their local Pirate Classmates in celebration of our San Pedro High School Class of 1973 Over 70 Classmates and Family Celebrated at the Red Man Wigwam on Friday Evening 280 Classmates and Family Celebrated at the 50th Reunion on Saturday Evening Consensus: This was the "Best SPHS Reunion Yet" Aye mateys! We can spin ye a yarn 'bout the 50 Year Reunion weekend event, a grand weekend affair it were. Over 300 salty dogs gathered on the decks, so mighty to behold. We hoisted our tankards high, singin' sea chanties thru the nights with memories of our past adventures but also with heartfelt recollections for our fallen companions. The crew shared tales o' their adventures, each one more daring than the last. We laughed, we cried, we danced, and we ate and drank like there be no tomorrow. It were a celebratory occasion with nights to remember, a true celebration for our Class o' 1973. So mark these days in yer logs me hearties, fer we be forever linked by this grand reunion o' pirates. Pre-Reunion No Host Social Mixer Friday, August 25, 4:00pm-9:00pm Improved Order of the Red Man Wigwam
**Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, and Bar Silver were accepted! Batten down the hatches! Prepare to be boarded!   Avast! Pirates amongst us!     Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!     Avast ye Scurvy Dogs!        Ahoy Maties! Let's trouble the water!    Keep a weather eye open!  The latest scuttlebutt...    We be Pirates!!!     Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight! Raffle Tickets for sale! Doubloons, Pieces of 8, Bar Silver accepted.    Pirate friends and family from far away shores, and nearby.      Pirates are Best!  The McGuires performed several songs to entertain the Pirate audience The McGuires, comprised of classmate Barbara Laffey and her husband Max, were joined by Mindy Oldham Refrains of Stairway to Heaven were heard throughout the performance!  Rosie Lucaylucay and Linda Delmar performed several hula dances and followed that with a hula lesson to fellow Ke Alians. Aloha Ke Alians! We made it to our 50th Reunion! Rosie, from the San Pedro famous Lucaylucay family, had reached out to Linda regarding dancing hula to commemorate our 50th year of the Ke Alians, the Royal Ones. Fortunately, Linda was prepared as she was lucky to have a hula kumu/teacher/mentor in her life by the name of Ke Ali’i. Linda is dressed in the ancient hula/Kahiko costume. Ke Alians is an Anglicized name. Ke Ali’i in Hawaiian means Chief. Oli/chant prayer for healing, unity, and rebuilding for the victims of the Maui wildfires: With the recent Maui wildfires, there was a 10 day Oli/chant, prayer the islanders did for healing, unity, and rebuilding. We are a few days behind, but Linda is offering an Oli/chant for you sending love to those who suffered from the devastation. “Oli Lei” speaks of the chain of islands in the Hawaiian archipelago representing a lei. The kahiko/ancient hula to He Mele Inoa O Kalakaua by Linda: The song honors the last King of Hawaii, David Kalakaua, another Royal One, who in 1874 revived and celebrated hula after it had been banned in public places in 1830. The hula to Aloha Oe by Linda and Rosie: Written in 1877, Aloha Oe is the farewell song. The hula uses hand gestures of flowers, the island, birds, fragrances, and embraces that remind us of our loved ones. They offer this dance in memoriam of our Ke Alian classmates who’ve passed. Mahalo/thank you Ke Alians! Until we meet again!      A wonderful and memorable evening celebratin' our 50-Year Reunion!!  Pirate ships were seen anchored off the San Pedro coastline...  View Videos of the reunion event photos including Photo Booth photos: SPHS 50 Year Reunion Photo Booth Captures San Pedro High School Class of 1973 Reunion Saturday August 26 4:00pm-10:00pm San Pedro Elks Lodge
**Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, and Bar Silver were accepted! Ke’Alian’s 50th Reunion AgendaAugust 26, 2023 ~ San Pedro Elks Club4:00pm-5:30pm: Welcome-Registration/Happy Hour Meet & Greet 5:30pm-7:00pm: Buffet Dinner 6:45pm-7:00pm: Official Welcome
Recognition of Key Ke’Alians Tribute to Fallen Pirates A Toast to The Class of ‘73: SPHS ~ Pirates are Best!!! 7:00pm-10:00pm: Dancing, Reminiscing / Conversing, 10:01pm: Farewell ~ Sail-on & Stay Well Pirates!!
Remember: No Spyglasses, grappling hooks, parrots or hornswaggling No mutinies, walking the plank, or swinging from the yardarms No settling of old scores, No smoking near the powder Known Rapscalions will be turned away Scalliwags will be given the Heave Ho Bilge rats need not apply Puffy shirts, bandanas, and hornpipes encouraged No Scalliwags!    Yar Harrr! Thar be Pirates we know!!  Fate has brought us together again. Well, actually, five years, buried treasure and pirates brought us together.  Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! Time and Tide Wait for No One!     Me Hearties!  Parley on the Quarterdeck  Set a course for the Spanish Main!        Spontaneous Sea Shanties broke out throughout the evening!   We sail the Seven Seas under the Jolly Roger seeking treasure, and adventure!    Sea-beer on the balcony            Seeking bounty for the Dread Pirate Roberts!       Thar be no time for lily-livered complainin'!                           Obey the captain or learn to swim!  I be the Scourge of the Seven Seas!  Cheers! Drink up, me hearties!    Me Hearties!  Down the hatch!  Here's to fair weather and following seas!  Shiver Me Timbers! The Topics!! South Bay's popular and highly acclaimed band. The Topics are well known for their incredible variety and mix of songs including "old school", Latin rhythms, classic rock n' roll covering decades of timeless classics plus modern day favorites. The Topics feature multi-part vocal harmonies, dynamic, powerful horns with Latin percussion and rhythms and deliver extremely danceable tunes. The class of '73 danced the night away with The Topics playing.  Dancing With the Pirate Stars!   Dancing a jig or two to the hornpipe    Celebratin' treasures beyond yer imagination!           Belay yer carousin'!  Here be treasure!   Beware: Pirates spotted at the Reunion!! Pirate Photo Booth!   Beware All Ye Who Enter!    We be the Scourge of the Seven Seas!     Aye, Mermaids are tough, the lot of them!    Sea Dogs and Mermaids!       A Pirate's Life For Me!     Rattle Me Bones!   Aargh!!! Pirates be a rebellious lot!    Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate!    Turning the Tide!          Pirates are Best!   Backup Cask of Pirate Spirits  Avast! Cali-Mex Buffet!  Coffee Cake!! The legendary Los Angeles Unified School District Coffee Cake! The Reunion Committee engaged local bakery Allie Cat Cakes to provide dessert for the 280 Pirate attendees. The original 1954 recipe was mixed, baked, packaged, and delivered by the bakery. A delicious, surprising and memorable treat for all!       Shiver Me Timbers Me Hearties! It all began with a letter calling all Pirates to join a celebration.  Our friendships are like rare jewels. Treasures that last a lifetime.  Pirate Council and Sign-in Table for the Voyage  Who's Here at the Reunion  Here be Treasure, Matey!  Pirate's Booty (and Raffle Sign-up) Table Treasures Abound Me Hearties!  A playwright, a scientist, and a novelist, all Ke Alian classmates, have donated some of their works to the Class of 1973 raffle to help fund our class reunions. Linda Delmar contributed signed copies of her book "Talk is Cheap"; Chuck Wilcox, PhD, contributed signed copies of his book "Demystifying the Alzheimer's Maze in Plain Language"; Peter Adum contributed signed copies of his novels "A New Day Yesterday" and "Shaky City Welcomes the World", both set in historical San Pedro. Many thanks to these talented classmates for their donations to the Ke Alian Class of 1973 and for their contributions to society!  Avast! Pirate's Booty available for raffle including treasure baskets, a VIP pass for 4 to Hollywood Magic Castle, and a bottle of fine Madeira wine.  Artisans Debbie Lamont Scanlon and Mercedes Alvarez have donated their beautiful art photography of scenic San Pedro locales, historical sites and points of interest to the Class of 1973 raffle. Thanks to Debbie and Mercedes for their donations!    Classmate and Quilter Sherri Nauheimer donated a beautiful handmade "SPHS '73 Pirate Quilt" to keep the lucky raffle winner warm on those cool San Pedro evenings or while serving on night watch during Pirate excursions. Thanks to Sherri for her time, effort, and donation to the Class of 1973!      SPHS Class of ’73 50th Reunion ~ August 26, 2023 @ San Pedro Elks Club Speech Delivered by Chuck WilcoxAcknowledgements ~ Reflections ~ The ToastGood evening and welcome to this, the largest single class Reunion in the history of San Pedro HS and The Elks Club!! My name is Chuck Wilcox. FIFTY years--- Whew—We Made It!! Yes, if we knew then what we know now, right? I DO think everyone knew then that this class, our class, truly was extraordinary and tonight we’ve proven it, again! Yep, Class of ’73... SPHS, Pirates Are Best! Give yourselves a hand for making some new Pedro History and being on board for some serious FUN tonight! Acknowledgements --As you can hopefully imagine, to pull off this epic event required about 15+ months of planning and sometimes, uhhh disAs, amongst the twelve uniquely different and sometimes strong personalities! I’d like re-introduce you to the classmates whom selflessly gave SO much time wanting to make tonight extra memorable: Terry Bass, Darlene Bender, Nancy Bowen, Linda Dunton, Elaine Krueger, Jay Leffingwell, Toni O’Donnell, Rocky Paulsen, Noel Tamburovich, JoAnn Tominaga and Diane Yasuda...You may want to shake their hand, give them a hug, buy them a drink or, who knows? Pass them a joint of medicinal marijuana if you’re equipped and so inclined! We also want to welcome and thank our many first-time-ever-Ke-Alian classmate-reunion attendees! Welcome back!! Similarly, we want to acknowledge and thank the three VERY longest-distances-travelled-classmates. All the way from Japan: Teresa DiMassa, from Norway: Edith Hansen and from Switzerland: Sylvia Tognola. We thank YOU for traveling all this way to make this once-in-a-lifetime evening even more special for all of us and hopefully for each of you AND-- they’re all females, right? Yes, whether they stayed here locally, moved to one of the 28 other states, plus 4-5 other countries into which our classmates have migrated, the lady Ke’Alians from Pedro High have proven to be women of substance and character! No doubt about that!! Also, and perhaps MOST importantly we REALLY want to thank so many of you who came from out of this area and you did NOT graduate with us. YOU’RE here accompanying a Ke’Alian classmate, as a husband, wife, spouse, partner, significant other or perhaps this weekend’s main squeeze! We really hope you enjoy this incredibly scenic venue and most of all, tonight, you’ll get to know a little more about our classy class! So, if you ARE from out of town, I strongly encourage you to check this place out! Last month, for my 1st time I went to the Korean Bell...and then saw this high-in-the-sky unbelievable basketball court with breathtaking coastal views! If you go there tomorrow, who knows? You may see one of our local athletic legends working out there ---like Manuel Grajeda, Tina Guarsi, or The Ironman Doug Spurgeon... or recently inducted in the San Pedro Hall-of-Fame Kathy Cantu, or other legendary hoopsters like Frank Merchatt, Mark Stevens, Rocky Hill or the one and only Janet Bezmalinovich [also in SP H-o-F]! Reflections -- YES, having “Pedro roots” makes us, well, remarkably and VERY proudly different than people from other places. As we would cheer at H.S. sporting events, “We’re from Pedro and we couldn’t be prouder!” It was true then and it’s still totally true tonight! First, we do have one serious heartfelt aspect of this evening to mention... This was strongly encouraged from our always VERY classy classmate Mr. Gary Moore. Several committee members, especially JoAnn, worked really hard to respectfully pay tribute to our Fallen Pirates. We have a Memorial Board and Memorial video...to check-out at your convenience so that we ALL keep these classmates in our hearts and thoughts! We miss them; we loved them. Meanwhile as we are a reconvened class here and now, tonight, we ask you to bow your heads for an abbreviated, respectful, Moment of Silence in their honor.........................................................Thank you. I mentioned that, well, in many ways being from Pedro makes us different from people who grew-up elsewhere. Hey, when your graduating class represents 65 nationalities, speaking 27 different languages you learn to say important words like “Poontang”, in at least four different languages! More importantly, DEI wasn’t a hypothetical, it was our way of life. I think it gave all of us a sharp competitive edge! By our senior year we knew we were blessed with classmates like the always well-dressed, extremely intelligent and very attractive young Ishman sisters, Debra and Dorian [Texas]; we also had the INCREDIBLY hard-working, muscle-men with muscle cars, the notoriously handsome Hurt brothers, Steve and Stew [Oregon & GA]! Pedro is not a place for wimps! It can be a tough town too. I remember growing up in the keyhole, the lady next door yelling at her son Steve “Get in here for dinner you S-O-B!!” I used to wonder if she ever saw the irony in that statement! Heck, even my Mom could be tough too – I once asked her if I was adopted. She smiled and said “Not yet, but we do have an ad running in the News Pilot!” Growing up here you even learn important life lessons in grammar school! Does anyone remember the Mary Star of the Sea Fiestas? At my first one –I was a 2nd grader – At the carousel some little kids from my class were jumping right on and riding the horses, some of the others were afraid of the horses and WAY over to the far side were four classmates ~ Mike Ortega, Scot Woodward, David Williams and David Young ~ they were betting on the horses! Yep! We grow up fast here... Speaking of growing up & “maturing” fast...and, YES, I promised the Committee, I’ll keep this PG-13 and not mention names...I think most of you will agree that, in addition to being super scenic, San Pedro is also a VERY sensual and sexual town! Right? For example, unlike my relatives and friends in the Midwest, here when I say the words “Huge Cock”, many of our classmates do NOT immediately think of a rooster!! Although I personally finished in last place in the race for sex at Pedro High, there were many Ke’Alians doing the Wild Thang!! Remember Mrs. Smythe’s physiology lab? She had a dark room laboratory with “pickled people”, I had one friend getting his turtle muddy in The Dark Room and another one was having his monkey spanked in the school attic... Alas, twas not the case for me. Like the Eminem song “Lose Yourself”, I totally messed up my one shot, one opportunity... I was a senior. One night this beautiful San Pedro Latina girl took me to Cabrillo Beach...she had two bottles of Boone’s Farm and a huge banana! After we finished the wine she very slowly and super suggestively devoured the banana... and then she winked and whispered “You know Carlos, that could be you!” I said, well then, I should probably have that dark soft spot looked at! I mentioned friends and a rooster in the Midwest, which reminds me of another San Pedro unique interpretation of a word. That word is Weasel....not a good connotation in Minnesota BUT, when you put the word “Sir” in front of it....and you drive a truly super-cool car, you rise to the top of the Class for Coolness!! Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re fortunate to have with us tonight all the way from West Point, MS is the King-of-Cool, a.k.a. Sir Weasel --- Mr. James Hamilton! ‘Give it up for James!! We have SO many amazingly accomplished classmates --- Every Pirate here has a story and every great story has a Pirate! We hope you share lots of YOUR happy and fun stories tonight. BTW ~ We also have lots of SUPER smart peeps here like Dave Varella, Tom Glushko, Bill Sheehan, and Hanneke Monad De Froideville just to name a few! What did we do?? We became teachers, engineers, contractors, bankers, doctors, police officers, longshoremen and lawyers! We have highly- accomplished musicians like Barbara McGuire, Chuck Alvarez, Jim Tardio and, just in from Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, ageless Lawrence Alva!! We have successful entrepreneurs like Jack Logrande, Gus Navarro, George De Carlo, and of course, the beautiful Marie Pilato. Admittedly, there may have even been one, or possibly two, pimps....but there were no wimps!! Last thing on our uniqueness. We tended to have a good number of “Pedro style” acronyms too! When the Committee was contemplating our agenda for what to list for 10:01 p.m. tonight---it was instantaneous and almost unanimous –it’s Pedro keep it simple “GTFO”! Yes there are others like the semi-sarcastic BFD and the ever-popular FU... but it was from another beautiful classmate Denise Hooker-Lauro, where I first learned about her passionate proclamations for weddings “WTF”, funerals “WTF”, and even family gatherings “WTF” as well --- I’m going to call-out for Denise, with all of her Italian passion, to define for us WTF Pedro Style àWITH THE FAMILY !! Thank YOU Denise –we ARE family! The Toast -- We’re not perfect; but, we are a passionate, purposeful and VERY Proud Pirate Family! Now, I’d like to ask you to join with me, as we make a toast to us! I’ll say SPHS and you say Pirates are Best...One rehearsal: SPHS....Pirates are Best. Here we go: to The Pride of Pedro High à The Class73, please raise your glass with me...SPHS... Pirates are Best!! 
Scrape off the old barnacles, break out yer compass and sextant Weigh anchor, unfurl your sails, and chart a course over the seven seas To San Pedro where the flags and pennants are aflyin’ for the class of 73 Sail onward to ye olde elks lodge for a yo-ho-ho grand soirée As we gather again to celebrate our camaraderie and glorious days Bring yer old charts, protractors, compasses, and memories of buried treasure Reconnect for scuttlebutt with classmates, old salts, and sea dogs we be Gather round the quarterdeck for a clap o’ thunder with friends, family, and pirates alike Listen to stories of far away shores with adventures that elicit both terror and inspirational dreams Regale old crew mates with tales of journeys, escapades and wisdom gleaned Recall long forgotten sea shanties that harken back to days gone by Of sailing uncharted waters with only a compass, the horizon, and North Star as yer guide Seeking treasures and fightin’ through adversity with many a hard won victory Rekindle the spirit of what we’ve done, where we’ve gone and for those who’ve passed Though we’ve lost many along the way, remember them fondly with a toast and a heartfelt story Old pirates never die, they live forever in our memories, our hearts and in legacy So shut yer flap, show a leg, and splice the mainbrace ye Scalliwags Grab yer spyglass, climb the crows nest, keep a weather eye out for the pirate flag and San Pedro Bay Drop anchor, row ashore to the celebration of 73 fit for we pirates who be We’ll hoist a few for days of yore, and for one and all in spirited revelry   Reunion CommitteeThanks to the San Pedro High School Class of 1973 Reunion Committee Proving in real time: The Whole is Greater Than The Sum of its Pirates
Thank You to the talented Reunion Committee members who participated in the planning and made this Reunion the Best Yet!
Teresa Bass Canavan Linda Dunton Delmar Darlene Bender Funk Jay Leffingwell Toni O’Donnell Rocky Paulsen Diane Yasuda Pegg Elaine Krueger Ruggiero JoAnn Tominaga Noel Tamburovich Vuoso Chuck Wilcox 
Adding a photo of JoAnn, an integral member of our Reunion Committee, who was away at the time of the group photo handling last minute Reunion setup! 
View Videos of the reunion event photos including Photo Booth photos: SPHS 50 Year Reunion Photo Booth Captures Here's to fair weather and following seas!!! Stay tuned at this site and on Facebook Group "San Pedro High 1973 Grads" for photos and updatesAvast! Beware all ye who enter…
Speak Like a Pirate!"Ahoy Matey!" "Avast ye scurvy dogs" "Shiver me Timbers" "Yarr Harr Thar be pirates like me!" "Let's trouble the water!" "I’ll see ye measured for chains" "I be the scourge of the seven seas!" "Belay yer carousin'" "Obey the captain or learn to swim" "Keep a weather eye open" "Me Hearties" "Prepare to be boarded!" "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum"  Pirate InsultsBilge rat Scallywag Scurvy dog Son of a Biscuit Eater Lily-livered Rapscallion Poxy Scourge of the Seven Seas Scabby Sea Bass Scabrous Landlubber Ye lily-livered scallywag Ye scabrous bilge rat  Pirate Drink Salutations"Down the hatch" "Here’s to fair weather and following seas" "Drink up me hearties" "May ye cannons never be rusty" "To high winds and mermaids" "Hoist the Colors!" "Drink up and don’t be skeered" "May your ANCHOR be tight, Your CORK be loose, Your RUM be spiced, And your COMPASS be true"  Favorite Pirate DrinksRum, distilled from molasses or sugarcane juice, was a very popular bevarage and became a primary export of the Caribbean where many sugar plantations were operating. As a result, many of the ships that pirates attacked were filled with it. Crews tended to drink much of the liquid loot they found. However, rum was also used as a currency and often traded for goods. Rum was also mixed with water to help preserve the water. 
 Beer had a longer shelf life than water and was another favorite of pirates. It became a primary liquid of choice when the water became undrinkable. There were two types of Beer - small beer with lower alcohol content and strong beer. 'Sea-beer' for longer voyages would have more malt, while ‘channel-beer’ would have less malt and ‘harbor-beer’ would have the least malt. The beer for longer sea voyages was stored in casks with iron hoops rather than the less durable wood hoops.  Madeira is a fortified wine made on the Portuguese Madeira Islands, off the coast of Africa. The islands of Madeira have a long winemaking history, dating back to the Age of Exploration, 15th century, when Madeira was a standard port of call for ships heading to the New World or East Indies. To prevent the wine from spoiling, neutral grape spirits were added. 
 Water was shipped in casks and had a relatively short shelf life. Algae would taint the water with a slimy green scum over time. Adding quantities of rum made it safer to drink and more palatable. Pirates repaired their ships near sheltered areas with sources of fresh water so they could restock their supplies.  Hard spirits were available at this time and grouped under the term ‘aqua vitae’ but were not widely used. As one historian noted, “At its all-too-common worst, aqua vitae would have been a stinking, oily potion that burned like Sherman's march going down and left you the next morning with a head as pulpy and tender as a rotten jack-o'-lantern."  Grog: mixture of rum and water, usually 1:4 ratio Grog recipe 1 part rum 4 parts water sugar citrus juice nutmeg or cinnamon 
Pirates In Their Own Words“Pirates plunder the rich under the cover of their own courage.” ― Samuel “Black Sam" Bellamy “I am a man of fortune and must seek my fortune.” ― Captain Henry Every “Under the leadership of a man you have all chosen to flee. We shall see how you prove yourselves under the hand of a woman.” ― Madame Ching Shih “Time and tide wait for none!" ― Blackbeard About Pirates “It’s funny that pirates were always going around searching for treasure, and they never realized that the real treasure was the fond memories they were creating.” ― Jack Handey “Fate has brought us together again. Well, actually, buried treasure and pirates brought us together.” ― Kermit the Frog as Captain Abraham Smollet, Muppet Treasure Island "I have a rendezvous beyond my Beloved Horizon" - Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean  Avast Maties!! For further information and adventures on Pirates and Piracy check out the Pirates subsection! Other subsections include Remembering 1973 and San Pedro Timeline Thanks to all those classmates and their guests who attended and helped to make the reunion weekend a great success. Stay tuned to this site for updates regarding the next reunion... ---> 50 Year Reunion is a Success!! San Pedro High School 1973 MemoriesYearbook in Video
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Announcement: 50 Year Reunion was The BEST SPHS Reunion Yet!!! |
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Interesting Facts
Where in the World are the Ke-Alians now?As of August 2008 536 Ke-Alian classmates, have known addresses. The others are missing (please refer to Missing page). Those with known addresses are living in the following communities and states: San Pedro 179 Neighboring Communities (123): Palos Verdes / Rolling Hills 46 Lomita / Harbor City 9 Redondo/Hermosa/Manhattan Beach 7 Wilmington 10 Carson 5 Torrance 9 Long Beach/Lakewood 27 Huntington/Seal Beach 10 California Regions (147): Los Angeles area (other than above) 34 Orange County (other than above) 29 Inland Empire 22 San Diego and South Coast 5 Central Coast 14 San Francisco Bay Area 14 North Coast 5 Central Valley South 5 Greater Sacramento 8 Central Valley North 8 Sierra / Tahoe 3 Other States (84): Alaska 1 Arizona 5 Colorado 5 Connecticut 1 Florida 2 Georgia 3 Hawaii 1 Idaho 2 Illinois 2 Indiana 1 Maryland 4 Massachussetts 1 Michigan 3 Minnesota 1 Mississippi 1 Missouri 1 Nevada 6 New Jersey 1 New York 2 Oklahoma 1 Oregon 6 Pennsylvania 1 Tennessee 4 Texas 7 Utah 5 Vermont 1 Washington 15 Wisconsin 1 Other Countries: Norway 2 Thailand 1 |
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