Linda's Aunt is having her house cleaned out. Needless to say, the house is full of old things, some meaningful, some just the debris of a very full and active life, some just junk that got consigned to the basement. But hidden, safely, in a metal box meant just for such things, two Kodachrome slides of the Reitz 1967 Graduation ceremonies.
So it was the occasion to buy a new scanner capable of handling slides and strip film (something we lost in the fire last year and never got around to repurchasing). I ordered it on Amazon and got it the next day (they must have had it stored around the corner just waiting for my order.) Scary fast. So we quick scanned the two slides and posted them on the website in the "Where We Came From" section under a page called "The Big Day 67". I'm sure Linda will have them splashed all over her Facebook page by the time this Blog post hits the 'Net. But consider this an open call for other photos of that day. I'm sure that there were other proud families shooting a lot of film (film, what's that?) that day. Let's see 'em, folks!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Another Classmate Confirmed
William Anthony Hall
William Spaulding
David Russell
Becky Brown Jewell
These are the last 4 Reitz 67 classmates whose locations have not yet been confirmed. If any of you who follow this blog or see Linda on Facebook have any clue as to their whereabouts, please let her know. It bothers her. We're pretty sure we know where Terry Stinson is, we can't get through his son, who doesn't seem to be passing on the message that we're wanting to contact him.
Facebook. Can't live with it, can't live without it. Sometimes annoying to no end. Sometimes I just want to go on a rampage and poison livestock and burn crops on somebody's farm. But, sometimes helpful to no end in locating folks. Sheila Monks Scarborough has been hard to track down, having moved several times in the last few years. But Linda found her brother on Facebook and messaged him to have Sheila give her a call, which she did yesterday, and voila, another classmate updated and located in anticipation of the great 45 next September.
Gayle Brown Gurksnis is on the home stretch of her Great Circle around the Midwest on her Reitz 67 "ambassadorial" duties. She has, in her travels, encouraged, organized and accomplished classmate get-togethers along her route. Good work Gail!
You will notice, at the suggestion of one of my Wayne Valley friends that we are now embolding the names mentioned in the Blog. Makes it easier for our old eyes, or so I'm told.
William Spaulding
David Russell
Becky Brown Jewell
These are the last 4 Reitz 67 classmates whose locations have not yet been confirmed. If any of you who follow this blog or see Linda on Facebook have any clue as to their whereabouts, please let her know. It bothers her. We're pretty sure we know where Terry Stinson is, we can't get through his son, who doesn't seem to be passing on the message that we're wanting to contact him.
Facebook. Can't live with it, can't live without it. Sometimes annoying to no end. Sometimes I just want to go on a rampage and poison livestock and burn crops on somebody's farm. But, sometimes helpful to no end in locating folks. Sheila Monks Scarborough has been hard to track down, having moved several times in the last few years. But Linda found her brother on Facebook and messaged him to have Sheila give her a call, which she did yesterday, and voila, another classmate updated and located in anticipation of the great 45 next September.
Gayle Brown Gurksnis is on the home stretch of her Great Circle around the Midwest on her Reitz 67 "ambassadorial" duties. She has, in her travels, encouraged, organized and accomplished classmate get-togethers along her route. Good work Gail!
You will notice, at the suggestion of one of my Wayne Valley friends that we are now embolding the names mentioned in the Blog. Makes it easier for our old eyes, or so I'm told.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Bad News for an Old Friend; Confirmation of a Plan
We got an email from a post graduate friend of Marla Oberhausen and had to be the bearers of sad news to her about Marla's passing. She had found the www.Reitz67.com website by Googling, we suppose, and had anxiously browsed through the pages until she got to our memorial page. She contacted us for confirmation because she just couldn't believe that such a sadness could have happened. It was just a short message but it spoke volumes about friendship, the expectation and hope that it will last forever. I suppose that most of us believe that friendships are part of the soundtrack of your life, as though you can listen in when you want to, put it into the background at will, and it will be there to give your attention when you have the time.
But life, like small children and pets, does not always do what it's told. That's why we have worked so hard to do what we have done with the directory, the class website, the phone calls the get together this past Spring, and the planning for the 45th. We are no longer immortal like we believed we were in 1967. Old friendships are fragile and can become brittle with age. They can be broken in an instant, not just by ill spoken words, but by time itself, the cruel twist of fate, the callousness of life. Now is the time to reconnect. Now is to say what you always thought you would have time to say to old friends. Now is the time to see them at the 45th Reunion next September 8, 2012. Make the time.
We went to see the Reitz JV volleyball team drub Mt. Vernon soundly last night, paid Phyllis Niehaus Happe for our activity cards, and had a chance to speak with Beth Hagan, the Reitz Activities Director. She indicated that yes, it was not uncommon for a class reunion to book a block of seats and that there may be some switching of schedules so that the Reitz opponent that week may not be Harrison but it will be a home game. All we have to do is shoot her an email and she will book it. Linda will be taking that one to the bank.
Steve Frohbieter postponed his Orange Beach experience to later this month. He must have had an old girl friend named Irene and he was afraid he would bump into her and she would spoil his vacation like she spoiled the plans of many of my high school classmates in the Northeast.
A gentle reminder to keep us informed of any contact information changes that may have occurred since we last spoke. We don't want to have to find you again, but ominously (cue the "Jaws" music please), we will if we have to. ;*)
But life, like small children and pets, does not always do what it's told. That's why we have worked so hard to do what we have done with the directory, the class website, the phone calls the get together this past Spring, and the planning for the 45th. We are no longer immortal like we believed we were in 1967. Old friendships are fragile and can become brittle with age. They can be broken in an instant, not just by ill spoken words, but by time itself, the cruel twist of fate, the callousness of life. Now is the time to reconnect. Now is to say what you always thought you would have time to say to old friends. Now is the time to see them at the 45th Reunion next September 8, 2012. Make the time.
We went to see the Reitz JV volleyball team drub Mt. Vernon soundly last night, paid Phyllis Niehaus Happe for our activity cards, and had a chance to speak with Beth Hagan, the Reitz Activities Director. She indicated that yes, it was not uncommon for a class reunion to book a block of seats and that there may be some switching of schedules so that the Reitz opponent that week may not be Harrison but it will be a home game. All we have to do is shoot her an email and she will book it. Linda will be taking that one to the bank.
Steve Frohbieter postponed his Orange Beach experience to later this month. He must have had an old girl friend named Irene and he was afraid he would bump into her and she would spoil his vacation like she spoiled the plans of many of my high school classmates in the Northeast.
A gentle reminder to keep us informed of any contact information changes that may have occurred since we last spoke. We don't want to have to find you again, but ominously (cue the "Jaws" music please), we will if we have to. ;*)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A Little Note from Gary Malin
We got an email from Gary Malin that ought to be shared:
So to officially close this Summer fundraiser, the winner, Steve Frohbieter has booked his Orange Beach Condo vacation with tour of the Pensacola Naval Air Museum and Blue Angel practice flight (that's the surprise bonus - surprise to me too)
Thanks again to all who participated so generously to this truly successful fundraiser. And watch for more class activities to come. We heard rumors of a Scott School get-together and who knows what other little informal get togethers are yet to come. Ain't it just great? Don't forget to send us pictures!
One final thing: Does anyone out there have any pictures from the 10th, besides the telephoto long distance giant group thing that we have on the website already?
I just think this little fundraiser ended up doing far more than just helping to raise funds. I'm just sorry that the Courier Press failed to include "Malin" in Gary's Mom's name. We missed it in the paper ourselves, and we were looking. Had they done so, I think there probably would have been more classmates at the showing.
So to officially close this Summer fundraiser, the winner, Steve Frohbieter has booked his Orange Beach Condo vacation with tour of the Pensacola Naval Air Museum and Blue Angel practice flight (that's the surprise bonus - surprise to me too)
Thanks again to all who participated so generously to this truly successful fundraiser. And watch for more class activities to come. We heard rumors of a Scott School get-together and who knows what other little informal get togethers are yet to come. Ain't it just great? Don't forget to send us pictures!
One final thing: Does anyone out there have any pictures from the 10th, besides the telephoto long distance giant group thing that we have on the website already?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Photos Found
Patty Qualls found a little stash of photos from a reunion and it turns out that it was the 30th at, that's right, Echo Valley. for which we only had two group shots. These are candids and are a lot clearer but Patty did mention that Echo Valley can be a dark place. I have a feeling that is by choice, and while I don't want it to look like a hospital operating room or a booth at Tropic Tan, I also don't want it to be any darker than the Cottonwood was. I thought that was about right, and still there were some photos that didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. I always like to see what I'm eating, and if it's too dark to see who you're talking to, it's probably too dark to take good photos.
Anyway, the new old photos can be found at http://www.reitz67.com/html/30.html. The first one under the two big group shots is somewhat of a mystery best solved by someone who actually attended. I thought it was Tom Sales and Terry Hurt just based on their current directory photos. Anyone? The rest are probably obvious. It's good to have a few more from that occasion and it did get me to think about the photo situation next year. I've got some plans that will be made more difficult if the place can be better lit.
Even though we're still a year out, we can't not do a little plottin' and schemin' and we will be calling Susan Turpin Gibson's son, owner of Paradise Printing about lead times for silk screened T Shirts so we know when we will have to pull the trigger if we do it for the Reitz home game on Reunion Weekend.
We're also starting to compile information about cruises for next year for the Class Cruise to Somewhere. Based upon the current level of participation expressed, this is starting to look good. And fun. Hopefully we can find something less common in the way of a destination. Usually, when cruise information or AAA books start showing up in the mailbox, it means we're going somewhere or someone (Linda) is thinking about going somewhere (which is practically the same thing). This time, I know it's for the Class Cruise.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
A Study in Contrasts
As some of you may know, I've been working, with Linda's tenacious help, to create a directory for my own Wayne Valley High School class without the help of the reunion committee. Since this personal project of mine has put me at odds with the committee, who are chiefly concerned with a select group to attend and if others do attend, that's okay too; It just further emphasizes the contrast with what we have tried to do for the Reitz '67 events.
We have set policy that class funds will not be used to pay for alcohol. We don't have anything against it in principle; we just don't want non drinkers to subsidize those who do indulge. We have tried, through various fund raisers completed and planned in the near future, to bolster the class coffers to keep event charges as low as possible in an attempt to allow as many people as possible to attend without having to eat cat food. We're hoping to be looking at $25 a head because of the bigger place and table service versus the DIY approach at the Spring Get Together. In contrast, Wayne reunions are now up to $75 a head to pay for booze and it's not even for a sit down meal. Anyone for a pasta bar?
It really does look like there will be a home football game (albeit Harrison, to whom we will probably deliver the usual annual drubbing) with school tour prior to the game (this has to be planned with Beth Hagan, the Reitz activities director) on Friday, Sept 7, 2012. Larry Broerman is working on the annual Reitz Men's Golf Outing for Saturday morning, Sept. 8. And then of course, the big event on Saturday evening. When we get a little closer, and start asking for attendance commitments and such, Ralph "Ed" Branch will probably be wanting to revisit the local hotel discount situation too although his research to date indicates that we're already at rock bottom in the market anyway.....
Now Delores Overbey Howard mentioned something about matching T-Shirts for the football game. That would be cool but would require some organization. Any volunteers? Let's keep this in mind as an option. We can make a few calls to find out what kind of lead times we are talking about so we know when we have to pull the trigger to make this work. I have to admit, even before the 44th, I did have a vision of 200 or more Reitz 67 folks sitting in a big block in matching attire in the Bowl getting announced at halftime. Way cool! In contrast, the Wayne reunion committee is talking about a 2 mile walk around Packanack lake as an additional activity.
As some of you may have noticed, Linda is at the start of making inquiries about contact information changes in preparation for the big contact blast when we get all the events lined out. In contrast, the Wayne committee has sent invitations to people who are deceased.
Aren't you glad you went to Reitz?
We have set policy that class funds will not be used to pay for alcohol. We don't have anything against it in principle; we just don't want non drinkers to subsidize those who do indulge. We have tried, through various fund raisers completed and planned in the near future, to bolster the class coffers to keep event charges as low as possible in an attempt to allow as many people as possible to attend without having to eat cat food. We're hoping to be looking at $25 a head because of the bigger place and table service versus the DIY approach at the Spring Get Together. In contrast, Wayne reunions are now up to $75 a head to pay for booze and it's not even for a sit down meal. Anyone for a pasta bar?
It really does look like there will be a home football game (albeit Harrison, to whom we will probably deliver the usual annual drubbing) with school tour prior to the game (this has to be planned with Beth Hagan, the Reitz activities director) on Friday, Sept 7, 2012. Larry Broerman is working on the annual Reitz Men's Golf Outing for Saturday morning, Sept. 8. And then of course, the big event on Saturday evening. When we get a little closer, and start asking for attendance commitments and such, Ralph "Ed" Branch will probably be wanting to revisit the local hotel discount situation too although his research to date indicates that we're already at rock bottom in the market anyway.....
Now Delores Overbey Howard mentioned something about matching T-Shirts for the football game. That would be cool but would require some organization. Any volunteers? Let's keep this in mind as an option. We can make a few calls to find out what kind of lead times we are talking about so we know when we have to pull the trigger to make this work. I have to admit, even before the 44th, I did have a vision of 200 or more Reitz 67 folks sitting in a big block in matching attire in the Bowl getting announced at halftime. Way cool! In contrast, the Wayne reunion committee is talking about a 2 mile walk around Packanack lake as an additional activity.
As some of you may have noticed, Linda is at the start of making inquiries about contact information changes in preparation for the big contact blast when we get all the events lined out. In contrast, the Wayne committee has sent invitations to people who are deceased.
Aren't you glad you went to Reitz?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Congratulations
Congratulations are in order for Steve Frohbieter, winner of the condo drawing. He was surprised, based on his Facebook post:
Can't believe I won the drawing , for use of the condo, at Orange Beach , Alabama.It was quite a suprise , when Linda Yuan , told me I won. I am one of those guys that never win anything .I always just donate , and never give it another thought .WELL YOU CAN BET , THAT MY MIND IS RACING NOW. I want to thank Gary Malin for making this exceptionally great vacation vacation possible for me, He's a good man. Trying to decide when I will go ....... Thanks to Gary , Linda , Milton , and everyone , who helped to put this together ........... Steve .......
We are all delighted that someone who intends to use the condo in the spirit in which it was offered actually
won. It was a matter of concern, leading to all the provisos after we started.
Planning for the 45 is cranking up and starting to actually look like things will fall into place. School tours, home football game, golf outing, it all seems to be feasible and if it turns out this way, it looks like a full and fun weekend is in store for everyone who attends any or all the events.
Can't believe I won the drawing , for use of the condo, at Orange Beach , Alabama.It was quite a suprise , when Linda Yuan , told me I won. I am one of those guys that never win anything .I always just donate , and never give it another thought .WELL YOU CAN BET , THAT MY MIND IS RACING NOW. I want to thank Gary Malin for making this exceptionally great vacation vacation possible for me, He's a good man. Trying to decide when I will go ....... Thanks to Gary , Linda , Milton , and everyone , who helped to put this together ........... Steve .......
We are all delighted that someone who intends to use the condo in the spirit in which it was offered actually
won. It was a matter of concern, leading to all the provisos after we started.
Planning for the 45 is cranking up and starting to actually look like things will fall into place. School tours, home football game, golf outing, it all seems to be feasible and if it turns out this way, it looks like a full and fun weekend is in store for everyone who attends any or all the events.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)