Category Archives: Trona Events

Happenings in Trona

2025 All Class Reunion Hotel Information

Leave a reply

All Rooms are plus tax. All rooms are double occupancy. Price is per night.
All rooms need to be reserved under Trona All Class Reunion.

Springhill Suites – 760.446.1630
King or double queen $109.00 plus tax
Holding 10 rooms, will add more if needed and available

Hampton Inn and Suites – 760.446.1968
King bed or double queen $109.00 plus tax
Holding 10 rooms, will add more if needed and available

Red Roof (Heritage Inn & Suites) 760.446.6543
King or double queen $95.00 plus tax

Holiday Inn Express 800-439-4745
King or queen double $165.30 plus tax
Includes breakfast

Clarion Inn 760.446.7910
King $106.00 plus tax
Queen $111.00 plus tax
Includes breakfast

Best Western 760.371.2300 Only holding 20 rooms
King $119.99 plus tax
Double Queen* $129.99 plus tax
* Additional adult in room $10 per night per head
Not pet friendly
Includes breakfast

Quality Inn 760.375.9731
5 kings reserved $114.53 plus tax
5 double queens reserved $114.53 plus tax
Includes breakfast

Please note: You must call and reserve room(s) directly with the hotel to get these special
rates. Reserving the room through a 3rd party (Expedia or Booking.com) will NOT get you these rates and rates can not be changed by the hotel later.

Gearing Up for the All Class Reunion 2025

2 Replies

The festivities will begin Friday night, October 24, with the coronation ceremony and bonfire, followed by a street dance on Frontage Road from 8:00 to midnight. DJ Eric Shoaf of Good Vibrations will again be proving the music. Saturday activities include the pancake breakfast, Homecoming parade, with our very own Andy Ledesma as Alumni Grand Marshall. Lunch will be served from 11:00-1:00 in the high school gym. The Varsity football game against Lone Pine will start around 2:30 pm, preceded by the introduction of the Homecoming Court at 1:45 pm. Saturday evening includes dancing and entertainment from 9:00 pm -1:00 am at the Elks, provided by Monarch Party Band, led by our very own Trona alumni John Young. The evening meal will be heavy Hors d’oeuvres.

Souvenir tee shirts, zip up hoodie sweatshirts, and baseball caps are available for purchase on the order form.

Here is the schedule of events:
Friday, October 24th
• 6:00 pm Coronation on the football field
• 8:00 pm Bonfire and “T” lighting
• 8-12 pm Street Dance – Frontage Rd. (where the liquor store/pizza parlor was)
Saturday, October 25th
• 7:00 am Pancake Breakfast at the Senior Citizens Center
• 10:00 am Homecoming Parade
• 11:00 am Catered Lunch in the high school gym (11:00-1:00)
• 1:45 pm Introduction of Homecoming Court followed by Varsity Game
• 6:00 pm Social hour at the Elks
• 7:00 pm Heavy Hors d’oeuvres meal served from (7:00-9:00)
• 9:00 pm Dancing at the Elks

◊ Reunion souvenirs: Souvenir tee shirts, hoodie sweatshirts, and hats can be ordered on the order form. These souvenirs will NOT be available for sale during the reunion weekend, so buy them now! Souvenir packets will be available for pickup at the street dance on Friday night and after the parade on Saturday in front of the gym. A group picture will be taken at the gym prior to the lunch. Be sure to wear your reunion shirt!!!

◊ Cell phones: Only Verizon cell phones will work in Trona. If you plan to purchase a prepaid
Verizon phone for the event, please make sure to ask if that phone will work in Trona. Apparently some do, and some don’t.

Here is a list of Cell phone providers that use Verizon:

Visible: Owned by Verizon, Visible offers unlimited data, talk, and text plans.

Xfinity Mobile: Offers plans that can be bundled with Xfinity internet services.

Red Pocket: Provides various prepaid plans across Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks.
US Mobile: Offers customizable plans with options for premium data and international features.
Straight Talk: Uses Verizon’s network, as well as AT&T and T-Mobile.
Twigby: A low-cost provider with plans for different data needs.
Page Plus: A prepaid provider operating on Verizon’s network.
Spectrum Mobile: Offers plans bundled with Spectrum internet and mobile services.
Total Wireless: A prepaid service provider that utilizes Verizon’s network.
TracFone: Another prepaid provider that uses Verizon’s network, along with other major networks.

Trona Tornado

All Class Reunion 2022

3 Replies

As many of you know the Trona High School alumni generally hold an all class reunion every five years. If it had not been for COVID-19 there would have been a reunion in 2020. The reunion committee decided it would be best to postpone it until 2021, however, since COVID-19 is still a concern the committee decided to postpone it one more year until the fall of 2022.

I am a member of the graduating class of 1961. There were about 19 or 20 graduating classes that came before us and 60 that came after us. That now seems pretty amazing to me. My sister, Patricia, graduated in 1953. I can remember some of her friends and the friends of my brother, Joel, who graduated in 1956. I can remember about 90% of the class of 1961 and just a handful of underclass-mates that were in school at the same time I was.

I guess my point is that there are a heck of a lot of alumni that I don’t know and I’m pretty sure the same is true of everyone else. It is seems almost unbelievable that there are people that are willing to put in the hard work of making all class reunions happen. With any luck in 2022 we will all be able to get together again with the people we know and maybe meet some of the ones we never knew.

____________________________________________________________________

If you would like to be notified of future posts enter your email address here:

 

Trona High School Class of 1968 50th Anniversary Reunion

Leave a reply

The THS Class of 1968 is having their 50th Anniversary Reunion April 13-14, 2018 at the 4 QUEENS HOTEL & CASINO in Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Class of 1968 is having a reunion in Las Vegas and has decided to open up their celebration to the THS Classes of 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1970 and OTHER interested Trona High School graduates.

For everyone that wants to join the party, the Host Class of 1968 is planning a Registration Reception for all classes on Friday (4/13) night at the Royal Pavillion, located inside the 4 Queens Hotel & Casino.

A Buffet-Style Banquet Dinner for all classes is scheduled for Saturday (4/14) night at the Longhorn Room, located inside Binion’s Gambling Hall, across the Fremont Street Experience from the 4 Queens Casino.

GENERAL PROGRAM:

Friday Evening – Royal Pavillion, 4 Queens Casino

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm Check-In (get name tags and programs), Informal Mixer, Reception Room with tables and chairs, finger foods, photo exhibits and memorabilia.

Saturday Evening – Longhorn Room, Binion’s Gambling Hall

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Visiting, Cash Bar, Welcome Announcements

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Buffet–Style Banquet Dinner (three entrees)

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Class Photo, Group photos, Informal Visiting & Rockin’ Out (bring your favorite ‘60s music)

Los Angeles Girl Scout Council “Mojave Primitive Encampment”

Leave a reply

Every year around Easter a group of scout leaders bring girl scouts out to a desert to camp, hike, rappel, etc. They originally camped up in the Great Falls area, but sometime in the 80’s they moved their camp to the Indian Joe’s area.

A former participant named Cindy wrote the following description:

It was the highlight of the week for the older girls to get to rappel down off the big rock that sat up over that little waterfall and spring. It was deep in the canyon. (I have pix if you’re interested). I first went in 1980 or so, then returned as an adult to help teach rock climbing in the early 1990s. We’d also hike to a place called the Mule Flats, up in the Argus Range somewhere? It was worth the hike because a small pipe had water running out of it and you could wash your hair! (The only water down in the camp was from the water buffalos the Navy would bring in for us from China Lake and we had to be frugal with it!)

The “flats” part had low grass covering it (said to have grown from the hay seed brought up to feed the mules and/or grown from seed in the mule’s’ poo?) I have many fond memories of that place. One year, the Space Shuttle landed at Edwards while we were at the encampment. I remember hearing the sonic booms as the shuttle and escort jets flew overhead. I think that was the same year we saw the aurora borealis (1982 I think?)

One year we boiled (106 degrees) and on another year at the Mule Flats we froze (woke up with my breath frozen to the inside of my ground cloth! I saw a bobcat one night and, of course, heard the burros. We’d also have a slideshow night where this old man came out and showed/told us about the history of the area. I can’t remember his name. (Indian Joe or something?)

Anyhow, I’d love to see a post on this topic. I’m sure there are literally THOUSANDS of women from the Los Angeles region who have similar memories of the place too. Thanks for listening!

FROM THE MPE.CAMP WEBSITE:

2016/2017 IMPORTANT DATES – HERE NOW!

MARCH 2017

8th by 11:59PM                  Camper Responses due via e-mail to mo@mpe.camp or via the desert acceptance reply form
11th @ 7:00PM                   First Desert Patrol Meeting (MANDATORY!) with applications and payment due @ Torrance Scout Center
23rd @ 7:00PM                   Backpackers meeting for all 2nd+ year campers planning to backpack

APRIL 2017

7th @ 6-7:30PM                  Load truck at Columbia Park in Torrance (Prairie Avenue @ 190th Street)
8th @ 6AM                          Adult staff & MISCs leave for desert
9th @ 6:30AM                     Campers leave for desert from Columbia Park (sharp!)
13th at 6PM                        Campers return from desert at Columbia Park
29th @ 7PM                        Ice Cream Social at Torrance Scout Center

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cDlKA0LtcM0
Cindy, thanks a lot for bringing this to my attention and for making this post possible.

FORMER TRONANS CLUB PICNIC 2016

4 Replies

copy-cropped-whitelaw-36

2016 has come fast, hasn’t it? It doesn’t seem like two years since the Centennial Celebration, but it’s time again to plan for the 2016 Former Tronans Picnic. This year the Picnic will be held on October 8th. That’s the second weekend in October. The Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Show will also be at that same time, so be sure to walk through and see some of our local artists and their presentations.

We would appreciate hearing from you whether or not you plan to attend. Let us know how you and your family are doing and be sure to verify your address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Thank you to all who made donations to cover our expenses last time! Please get your response forms in by 30 September at the very latest.

TIME AND PLACE

Our Picnic will be held on Saturday, October 8th beginning at 10:00 AM at the our usual meeting place, the Trona Elementary School (the Round School) on Athol Street.

FOOD

Sack lunches (sandwich, chips, fruit cup, dessert) are available for $8 each. Please include payment with your response as these lunches must be pre-ordered. Beverages will be provided by the club.

The Trona Community Church always sponsors a pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. The cost is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children seven and under. It is a great way to start your morning!

The Trona Elks will have a deep-pit BBQ (beef or pork) Saturday evening from 3 p.m. until gone. If you’re interested, call the Trona Elks and let them know. Food is also available at the Trails Drive-in and at Esparza’s Family Restaurant (old Theater) on Main Street.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Society will be celebrating their 75th annual Gem-O-Rama on October 8th and 9th. Free Plant Tours by bus at 11, 11:40, 12:20, 1 p.m. and 2:30 on Saturday only. For additional information, please refer to the flier included in this letter.

The museums of the Searles Valley Historical Society – Old Guest House, History House, and the Trona Railway, will be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Fire Museum will be open on Saturday only.

LODGING

Pinnacle Inn Clarion Inn Comfort Inn
84368 Trona Road 901 N. China Lake Blvd. 507 S. China Lake Blvd
Trona, CA 93562 Ridgecrest, CA 93555 Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 372-5795 (760) 446-7910 (760) 375-9731
Hampton Inn & Suites Spring Hill Suites (Marriott) Heritage Inn & Suites
104 E. Sydnor Ave. 113 E. Sydnor Ave 1050 N. Norma
Ridgecrest CA 93555 Ridgecrest CA 93555 Ridgecrest CA 93555
(760) 446-1968 (800) 741-5072 (800) 843-0693
Best Western China Lake Inn
400 S. China Lake Blvd
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
760 371-2300

Camping is available at Valley Wells for a nominal fee (only for the weekend).

We’re looking forward to seeing all our friends. Please let us know by returning the enclosed attendance form.

See you at the Picnic!

Nicki (Weidenbenner) Johnson

Enclosures

The Former Tronans Picnic? takes place October 8th, 10AM – 2PM in the Trona Elementary (round) School. All Former Tronans are invited to come and it’s FREE! PDF forms (Info on the Picnic, a RSVP form, and the Gem and Mineral Show, also on the same weekend) can be downloaded here:

2016 Letter Download

2016 Letter Response Form Download

Gem Show Flyer Download