Duane Ekwall

Did my stint in the oil patch from 1978 to 1982 while playing music in a group called, Clean Sweep from Gillette, Wyoming. Somewhere in there I worked for he Wyoming Highway Department on the survey crew and drove show plow in the winter. Spent most of 1978(after graduation) stuck in the snow trying to plow out 4-J road. I then moved to Denver for a year, didn't like it so moved to Sheridan and performed on weekends as a drummer in a country western band called Thunder Mountain out of Sheridan, Wyoming beginning in 1983. Went to college at Sheridan Community College in 1984, studied music performance. Later toured most of the US in various musical combos. 1989 began a career as a radio announcer in Holdrege and Kearney, Nebrasa until moving to Chadron, Nebraska at which time I took a position as morning announcer at KCSR radio. By 1999 had been named the most unusual morning announcer in the state of Nebraska and had the highest ratings of any morning announcer within the Western half of Nebraska. In 2001, I enrolled in college at Chadron State College majoring in Business and Marketing. I graduated in 2003. In 2006, my mother was diagnosed with cancer at which time I packed up and moved to Sheridan, Wyoming. My mother passed away on March 28, 2007 and I decided to stay in Sheridan. Began working at Normative Services Prep School in Sheridan as a Councelor Specialist. Working with troubled kids has always been a passion of mine and now I have a job that I actually feel good about. Good or bad kids are wonderful if given a chance to succeed.

My best memories in life were spent in Gillette from 1974 to 1978. I moved to Gillette in the summer pryor to my 9th grade year when we all were packed into the construction ridden 9th grade building I believe is now called Twin Spruce Jr. High. Alot of you probably remember those days when I made friends with the infamous Brian Champine. We use to think we were pretty cool walking down the halls and yelling, "You will be shot by the Gestapo", and painting the wall between the art building and the cafeteria with our famous powder paint bombs made from a baby food jar and that paint you mix with water. Old Mr. Hudson could never catch us because one day we would be in the front of the line as we prepared to go to lunch and then the next day we'd be in the back of the line. As we ran or walked from one building to the next, we would heave these paint bombs at the wall. By the end of the year, that particular wall was very colorful. My only regret was that later Wayne Vandam blew up the toilet in the boys restroom. I hope we had nothing to do with that. The Champine Gang antics continued into High School and many of you probably remember those. Someone dared me to hang a condom full of 7up and ice cream on a hallway bulletin at CCHS. Greg Dean was heard making the comment, "Wow a heck of a man must have filled that up." In fact I think it was Greg who dared me to do that. Bad Dean!!! I'm looking forward to seeing all of my old friends. I hope most of them show up.