07/08/2024: 55th Reunion Luncheon Selections & Payment Options

Hi Class

Reunion is just 2 short months away.   Time to fish or cut bait as the old saying goes....

Please let us know your lunch choice(s) for the upcoming 55th and how you would like to pay for the event.

Please make a payment selection in #3 below.  Personal checks should be sent to:

Wendy Manninen
13 Riverview Way
Gloucester MA 01930

If you select to pay by direct deposit, we will send you the requisite bank information

For more details about the box lunches, please visit the Panera catering site:

https://catering.panerabread.com/menu/category/boxed-lunches

** Payment and luncheon selections due by August 4.  **

Thanks.

06/27/2024: 55th Reunion Details

Hi again classmates

Your friendly reunion committee here with some details regarding our upcoming event at Winter Island Park in Salem, MA on Ssptember 4.

The official time range for the reunion is 11-5 but the park is open 9-8 and some of the committee will likely be there before 11 and after 5, so if the weather is nice and you want to come early and/or stay late to hang with us or go to the beach or whatever, you are welcome to do that. 

If you haven't been there before, the park is essentially a peninsula with some lovely views, a nice beach area, boating, picnicking, etc.  Here is a link to the park's website: https://www.salemma.gov/winter-island-park

We will be in the reserved area known as the "Pavillion" which is covered (albeit outside) so the event is a go rain or shine but obviously you will need to dress for the weather that day.   More details about parking will be sent out beforehand.

Chairs and tables are provided but you may want to bring a comfortable lawn chair if you have one.   While there will be plenty of chairs available, they may not cut it for long-term seating at our age.  

BYOB.  Bottled water will be provided but all other beverages will be up to you.  That includes beer and wine which are permitted in the park.  This also implies that you may want to bring a cooler of some sort to keep your beverages chilled.

Breakfast items will be available in the morning.  Probably some scones and the like from Trader Joe's or something similar.  NO coffee, tea, juice, or any beverages other than water however.

Lunch will be around 1PM and will consist of box lunches from Panera.  There will likely be 3 choices available; probably a couple of sandwich options and a salad option.  A lunch selection "survey" will be forthcoming shortly with further details and you will be able to make your selection and send it back to us before the event.  If you haven't had a Panera sandwich or salad recently, they're actually pretty good and quite filling.   Of course, you will be welcome to bring your own lunch as well.

There will probably be a little photo session around 2:30.

And if you are still with us in the late afternoon, we'll probably have some decent, individually wrapped, candy to snack on.   Just what we all need at 73.

The price:  LHS '69 Alums - $40.  Guests - $20.   (And just to state the obvious so there's no confusion, 1 guest per grad please.)

Be back in touch with the lunch survey soon..

Wendy, Ann Marie, Janet, Sharon, Eric

05/25/2024: 55th Reunion Survey Questions

Hi Class

The Reunion Committee would like your feedback on a couple of questions related to our upcoming reunion.

Would appreciate your prompt attention.

Many thanks.

Sharon, Ann Marie, Janet, Wendy, Eric

02/28/2024: 55th Reunion Save the Date

Fellow 1969 LHS Alums

Our 55th reunion will be held Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at Winter Island Park in Salem, MA.   As alluded to in the previous post, the hope/intent is that we can hold subsequent reunions at the same venue on the Wednesday after Labor Day each year.

Specifics/details to follow.

Wendy, Ann Marie, Janet, Jeanne, Sharon, Eric

02/22/24: Planned Approach for 55th Reunion

Hello again LHS Class of '69

We wanted to share our current thought process and approach to planning the 55th reunion this September...

First, some context.  The 50th was quite the gala event spread over two days and it certainly seemed like everyone that attended had a great time.  However, it was a lot of work to plan and execute and none of us on the committee has the energy to do anything remotely like it again.  It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.  Then, of course, the main architect of the event and website creator, Pete, was unable to attend because of his illness.  This took a lot of the wind out of our collective sails.  With his passing last summer, our reunion balloon deflated even further.  But a few folks have been asking about a 55th, so it seemed like we should fire up the reunion engine after a 5-hear hiatus.  Hard to believe it's been that long.

Given the above, however, the approach we are taking for the 55th is to plan a low-key, low-frills, low-cost, come-as-you-are, event that would be easily replicable year after year.  Our thought process is that we would like to hold a reunion annually at the same time of year, hopefully at the same venue, with minimal effort by anyone involved and little thought by attendees.  Something as close to a "set it and forget it" approach as we can get. 

Let's face it, none of us is getting any younger, we don't like to play dress-up anymore; we just enjoy sitting back, having a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine, and shooting the shit with friends for the afternoon.   To that end, we thought it would be great for anyone interested and able, to catch up in person - even briefly - at least once a year with their classmates.   Shades of Same Time, Next Year without the hanky-panky (if anyone can still do that).    The theory/concept being that if you are unable to atend one year, you will be able to count on a reunion event the same time the following year.  

If anyone has any objections as to how we're going about planning the 55th, please let us know.  We are not immune to constructive criticism or helpful suggestions.  Our goal is to try to hold an event as close to something in your own backyard as possible but at the very least, we wanted to at least level-set everyone so that no one will be surprised/upset/disappointed especially given the 50th shindig.  The 55th will most assuredly be nothing like it given our current thinking but hopefully the approach entices as many people as possible - even those that didn't attend the 50th - to (re)consider coming this year, or the next, or the next.....

More specifics vis-a-vis the exact date, location, food and beverage options, etc. for the 55th to follow very soon.

Sincerely,

Your reunion committee  (Ann Marie, Wendy, Sharon, Jeanne, Janet, Eric)

02/09/24: Initial Notification of 55th Reunion Plans

Hello Class

Just FYI that plans are in the works to hold a 55th reunion this September.

Details and specifics will be posted as they become available.

Eric