Here is a continuation of my memories and experiences over the years. The numbering is for referencing only. It should not be considered a ranking of the items.

11. Conducting the Phoenix Symphony fulfills a life-long dream:

You know how there is one thing you’ve always dreamed of doing all of your life, but you didn’t know how to go about achieving that goal.

My dream goal was to conduct a major city symphony orchestra.

I grew up in a musical household. I played the violin in my high school orchestra. My brother, Steve, was a percussionist with the Phoenix Symphony when he was just a junior in high school. My dad was concert master (first chair violinist) of the Oklahoma City University orchestra prior to World War II. Whenever the “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” movie theme music came on the radio, I would imagine myself conducting the orchestra.

There used to be an organization in Fountain Hills called the Sunridge Foundation that raised money to invest in the community. The foundation held a fundraiser every fall during which they would often raise over $100,000 through silent and live auctions. The items were often more than a dinner at a local restaurant or a round of golf at one of the area courses.

As for the Sunridge dinner in 1998, when I first looked at a list of the live auction items, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

There it was, in print, among the live auction items: “Be a guest conductor of the Phoenix Symphony for one number during their spring concert in Fountain Park on Sunday, May 2, 1999. All I needed was to have the top bid to achieve my dream. When the bidding began, there were about four or five people bidding on the chance to conduct the symphony. It came down to Jerry Miles and myself. I knew I had a battle on my hands. Jerry was bidding on it for his wife, Jackie.

We went back and forth several times before he stopped bidding.

“I could tell you wanted to get that conductor item,” he said at the end of the evening.

I told him that we could ask if the foundation committee that collects the auction prizes could see that they repeat that auction item for the following year.

They did, Jerry was the top bidder and Jackie got to conduct the symphony in 2000.

Meanwhile, back to my experience, I decided to wear my tuxedo. I wanted to show my appreciation and respect for the symphony offering this opportunity for me. I told the symphony how my high school (West Phoenix) was judged and winner of the “Best in the West” award in 1963. The orchestra had three eventual members of the symphony: John Mitchell on violin, Robert Strava, also on violin and Alan Briggs on trumpet. Only Strava was still with the symphony and he was excused for the day.

I was told I would be leading the orchestra through the “Colonel Bogey’s March.”

I said, I didn’t know that one. “Oh, you’ll recognize it, the symphony manager said to me. “You know it as the theme music to the movie, “Bridge over the River Kwai.”

I had the music score in front of me. It had a lot more notes on it than I had remembered for a single instrument. Suddenly I got this urge to add some humor to the concert.

I turned with a worried expression on my face. As I turned, I saw local Realtor Joe Goyena and his wife, Carol, sitting in the front row. He was smiling and gave me a big thumbs up.

12. Having a surprise ceremony for my 65th birthday:

Museum Executive Director Judy Confer invited me to come to the museum for a special board meeting. It was my birthday and we had dinner plans, but I said I’d be there. She said she would pick me up.

We entered the museum building through the back door. As I passed a window, I got a glimpse of what I thought was a group of people milling around at the entrance to the museum. When we got around to the museum store, I recognized my good friend, Fred Pulve, as one of the people gathered outside.

I asked Judy if Fred was coming to our meeting. I looked around more closely at the crowd and I saw my brother and his wife. Then I saw my mother. I turned to Judy and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Go outside. I think they’re shouting, surprise!”

As I opened the door, everyone was up and singing “Happy Birthday.”

Apparently, another friend of mine, Jerry Miles, had planned the entire event.

The real surprise was when Jerry called me back to the podium along with Mayor Linda Kavanagh and Sandi Thompson, chairman of the Public Art Committee. Jerry congratulated me on my 65th birthday.

Then he said, “It’s time for the unveiling of the newest addition to our town’s public art collection.”

The bronze sculpture piece is called “Good News.” It was created by artist George Lundeen of Loveland, Colo.

It is a sculpture of a young newspaper carrier lugging a bag of rolled newspapers while accompanied by a canine companion. It was installed next to the main entrance to the museum, which bears my name.

The sculpture is so detailed that it carries the actual flag of The Times on the paper.

I’vestill got a few more memories for you, which I will present next week.