Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, April 05, 2012

Shown with their Photoshopped winning check at the Mount Ayr class of 1967 reunion were, from left: Paul Long, Steve Fetty, Diane Dailey Wood, Marlys Barker Meacham, Ron Burgher, Ron Saltzman, Jim Pedersen and Gwen Trullinger. Chuck Meacham was taking the picture.

The Las Vegas tag line is "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

This story has just the opposite theme: "What didn't happen in Vegas didn't stay there."

The Mount Ayr high school Class of 1967 is celebrating their 45th reunion this year and so in addition to their meeting planned this summer in Mount Ayr, several class members decided to get together in Las Vegas over the Saint Patrick's Day weekend.

Paul and Patty LONG live in Las Vegas, NV, so invited as many of the crew to come as could. Several of the classmates made it to the event and a good time was had by all, as the saying goes.

Leave it to Ron and Karen SALTZMAN to make the story a little more interesting.

Sunday he posted a picture of the part of their trip that one might think would be left in Vegas. It was a picture of several of the group at the reunion with a big check from the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.

"I just had a phone call wanting to know the rest of the story," their accompanying note on Facebook said.

"On Saturday evening we met at Paul and Patty's room. We were eating pizza and watching the ISU-Kentucky basketball game. At half time we nine class members each threw $20 in the pot and sent Gwen (TRULLINGER) down to play the slots. She had been having considerably better luck than the rest of us. In about 20 minutes she came back and had hit it big."

It wasn't one of those cases where there was a big fight over the split. TRULLINGER didn't say that it was her dollar that won the prize and not one of the pooled dollars.

Patty LONG posted that she and Paul LONG were planning to build a new swimming pool with their share.

Gwen TRULLINGER added that she was going on a honeymoon cruise and then on to Paris with her winnings.

Chuck MEACHAM was pictured purchasing a new guitar to seranade his wife Marlys in their new motor home.

"We bought a new Lexus LX , I heard Bug bought a Beachcraft Bonanza. Was nice to come home from Las Vegas with a lot more money that you went with." Karen SALTZMAN wrote.

Classmate Richard PENCE, who didn't make the trip, commented on Jim PEDERSEN'S winnings; "Funny that Jimmy Lee..I mean JAMES L... has not said what he is doing with his share...Watch out other members he is a LAWYER and he will get it ALL!!! Perhaps he is going to set up some type of "trust" to avoid taxes."

The pictures even brought a comment about how the Judge Lewis Park aquatic center project could use some of the largesse. Got to get a pool project plug in while you can.

Back to the theme of this story,however. Remember its about what didn't happen there that didn't stay there.

All the postings were put up on Sunday.

Get it? April Fool's Day.

The class members had a lot of people going for a bit. Classmates had figured out that each one of the group would have won $48,504.85.

There were congratulations all around. Some class members wished they had gone along and been able to share in the wealth. They'll have to settle for getting back at the jokesters June 9 when they hold their reunion in Mount Ayr in conjunction with the Cullen Geist golf tournament.

Those taking part in the reunion were Ron and Connie BURGHER, Chuck and Marlys MEACHAM, Steve FETTY, Jim and Donna PEDERSEN, Kenny and Diane WOOD, Ronand Karen SALTZMAN, Paul and Patty LONG and Gwen TRULLINGER.

Others joining them but not from the class included Vicky BUTLER PIERCE and Ron and Martha LANDPHAIR.

The group took in some Las Vegas shows, toured Hoover Dam and took in some of the "wild and crazy" Saint Patrick's Day weekend.

Now if the IRS just doesn't have a snooping program that picks up pictures of winning checks to try to collect taxes.

They may need Jim PEDERSEN'S services yet.

Courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2012