09/30/06

MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE goes to all the people who have helped me so willingly to arrange things for this reunion. I especially thank the committee of folks who met with me in January and May consisting of Jim Bean, Jane Carville/Nielsen, John Fletcher, Toozie Fuller, Deb Hale/Skelley, James and Brooke Rines, Larry Ryan, and Terri Ryan/Harriman. They gave me great feedback and help in creating a framework to build on. They provided names and addresses from the last reunion 10 years previous, so I at least had something to start with.

[[ NEW on 9/30/06!! I have just realized that I never publicly thanked Terri Ryan/Harriman for her gracious help and donation of both funds and printing costs for the reunion banner that marked and decorated our reunion location this past July. Terri secured the banner from the class of '74, which owns and rents it out to other classes for a reasonable charge. Terri has a printing business, and donated the printing work to put the correct year info on the banner, which looked great!! Terri also dependably brought the banner and took care of having it hung out front at the Lakeview for PR and then brought inside for display that evening. All this was taken care of so quietly and faithfully that I never had to give it a second thought. I apologize for not realizing sooner that I failed to note her kind assistance here on this page, but indeed I do thank you, Terri, for your help and support!! ]]

Lots of changes have occurred in those years so finding classmates has been the single most difficult and time-consuming aspect to this whole project.  I couldn't have found MANY of our classmates without help from many more of you. Some of you were able and willing to call parents or other people you knew could assist us to find "lost" classmates. Mary Adjutant in particular helped me on more than one occasion and some were found only through her efforts. So many others of you contributed contact info that I cannot begin to list all, but please know your help was critical to locating people; without it, the number of "lost" classmates would be much higher than it is.

Even so, it is with great regret that I say we still have no contact info for over 20 of our classmates, and my suspicion is that several more to whom we have sent email or postal mail did not in fact receive these messages. If you are a classmate and didn't get notified, PLEASE CONTACT ME!! We want to find you and hopefully see you at a reunion soon!!

I would also like to thank named and un-named persons who helped in other ways.

• I want to thank Jane Carville/Nielsen for having the foresight to purchase the home many of us visited for our graduation party some 30 years ago!! She actually did not even know this was the former Lineham home when she and husband, Bob Nielsen, bought this home. She later recognized the yard as familiar somehow, and soon discovered it's uncanny connection to her (and our) past when she ran into neighboring landowner, Bobby Lineham (KRHS class of 74?) Jane and Bob Nielsen have generously offered to host our Sunday BBQ/Cookout event at this home for an appropriate stroll down memory lane for all who attended that graduation party back in '76!! Jane has generously secured numerous items for this event, including a large tent, tables, chairs, grill, and much more to make this another day we will remember in our time of reconnecting again.

• I also want to thank James Rines and his wife, Brooke, for willingly hosting our Friday BYO Pizza/Sandwich/Whatever gathering at their home in Center Ossipee. We have tried very hard to keep costs for this reunion at a minimum in order to enable all who are interested to attend. The Friday night event was becoming difficult to nail down as we needed somewhere large enough to enable good fellowship but at the same time not be an expensive location in terms of meal costs or rental of space. James and Brooke willingly offered their yard, complete with pool for those inclined for a soaking. Details of this event can be found here. 

• I would be greatly amiss if I did not mention a donor who asked to remain anonymous. This donor provided a very generous sum to cover the DJ and other expenses related to our Saturday Reunion Buffet meal. This person responded to a concern that some might not be able to attend this event because of the initial projected cost of nearly $65 per person. That projection had to be high because we had no clue how many might come, thus sharing the costs beyond the meal price. This donor covered all those extra costs simply to make sure that the cost would be as low as possible, thus encouraging everyone to attend. 

• In addition to this donation, I want to thank MANY MORE classmates who, knowing we would have other expenses, including unpublicized but very substantial costs for the Sunday BBQ event, sent in donations along with their Buffet ticket price. This included persons who knew they could not even attend the Sunday event but wanted to help anyway. These other donations have helped lower the out-of-pocket costs Jane and Bob Nielsen chose to take on when they decided to host that event. I wish I could convey to you just how much this has encouraged me and touched me to know what a tremendous group of classmates with whom I have the privilege to be associated.

• I also thank John Fletcher for jumping in and helping arrange a Sunrise Golf Challenge event for Saturday morning. He made the arrangements and, I suspect, pulled strings or greased palms to arrange such an affordable 9-hole deal. I know that will be a great time for some classmates!! TEE IT UP, guys and gals!

I believe lasting groundwork has been laid for increased participation in future reunions. Without the help of so many different individuals giving so many different kinds of help, it would not be possible for this and future gatherings to be as truly wonderful as I'm certain they will be. I really cannot express how deeply this experience has touched me, and I have only increasingly warm feelings and heartfelt care for all my classmates. I sincerely believe the class of 1976 from Kingswood Regional High School is the most exceptional high school class I could ever hope to be associated with. You people are incredible! I'm so glad I to have been one of the members of this group. You marked my life in many ways, and I have always been overly proud to have lived and grown up where I did, when I did. Now, as I am reconnecting with so many of you, I'm glad I have the opportunity to return and continue the journey of life with you still part of it.