The Tattler

Reunion News For the Incredible Class of 1962

This may be the last reunion...don't wait until 2017 to find out.

February 2, 2012: The Registration Form mailing started going out today. The people without e-mail addresses should receive it within a few days. It includes a flyer that is half maroon and half taupe, a single page Registration Form, and a single page list of lodging in the Ithaca area.

If you receive it by mail, print out the Registration Form and manually fill it out, enclose a check for $40 per person, and send it to the address on the Form (send it to Rita). This will register you for the 50th Reunion in July. NOTE: You must register by May 1st to attend.

Also, people who provided e-mail addresses should have received them by now. We had a few minor glitches, such as none of you with gmail addresses received the mailing yet, but we're working on it. Unlike the mailed form, those receiving the e-mail version can fill in the Registration Form on-line. However, you will still have to print it out and mail it to Rita because we have no ability to take checks over the internet, yet.

We'll keep you all posted on the sign-up progress in the 50th Attendees section.

Not at all! It's only $40 per person for the entire weekend!

February 1, 2012: 44,000 hits. Due to better than expected weather, the Reunion Committee is poised to send out the Registration Form for the 50th Reunion. The predicted hard winter has yet to materialize unless 50 degree weather and some clouds is the definition of "hard".

Most of you will receive the Reg Form by e-mail, but there will also be a number of post office mail notices going out. Once the mail actually goes out, there will be an announcement here in The Tattler section.

If your Classmate Info is not accurate, you may not receive the sign-up information. Make sure it is up-to-date. If you have problems updating the info, you can always use the Contact Us feature. In all cases, you will need to return the Reg Form and payment by regular mail.

The Ithaca High School logo.

January 2, 2012: 43,000 hits were recorded right on schedule at noon. Here in the midwest, we have the first snow of the winter. Those of you living in the south must be grateful that you moved just in time to avoid winter. Those of you living in the north must be excited to know that the seemingly neverending rain has finally ended.

There are big and little items left to do before the July reunion. The Committee has been working on memorabilia for the event. In 2007, shirts, hats, and other items were offered. This time is no different except probably the reunion date will be changed from the 45th to the 50th. Most of the items will be imprinted with the logo (shown to the right) and some combination of "Ithaca High School", "Class of 1962", and "50th Reunion". Since the skunk has been discarded, and the bear can't be found, there aren't many choices. Someone suggested that the traffic jams in Ithaca be memorialized, but somehow that seemed tacky.

This cartoon is for all of you who will likely get a blizzard by the end of the year. Enjoy the nice weather while you can.

December 1, 2011: 42,000 hits. Why are people looking at this section when most of the action is in the Recollections section? Would you like to participate? The topics can range all over the place. Give it a try. Once you've written a story, send it to Contact Us. List the pictures you need and we will provide them if we can. Keep it clean and keep it relevant to the Class of 1962 and it should fly.

How long did it take for this to warm up? The answer is hidden in the article to the left.

November 8, 2011: It's election day and we just passed 41,000 hits which means the Class of 1962 is winning. Don't try to overthink that last sentence.

Thanks to everyone who sent in pictures of the little red bear...our mascot in high school. Because we now have a bear, we can produce meaningful memorabilia. But what to offer??? Have some ideas? Send in your candidates and they will be considered. Right now the leading choices are shirts and hats, but other things like umbrellas and parkas haven't been ruled out given Ithaca's climate.

Classmate Info Section: This now includes the "Last Edited Date" field. If you sent in an entry and it has no date, it means that we received it before the field was added as an option. As usual, check to confirm that all your info is correct.

Headline News: After months of anticipation, the venues for the 50th reunion have been announced. See the "2012 Events" section for more info. For your convenience, the "2007 Events" section has been removed. We're just like a bank...everything we do is "for your convenience".

You Send Me: The "YSM" section is a relic from the 2007 reunion. The e-mail contact we use now is in the "Classmate Info" section disguised as "Send This Person A Message". The YSM section is needed only if the person you're trying to contact hasn't filled out their Classmate Info entry and somehow we know their e-mail address. Should YSM be eliminated? Or is it still needed?

Answer to TV Question: Everything in the picture took 3 minutes to warm up.

Bear with us on this!

October 23, 2011: PLEASE READ THIS! The Reunion Committee is starting to discuss what memorabilia should be offered at the reunion. After discussing the official mascot, it became clear that the mascot is either a skunk or a bear. For the 45th reunion we flipped a coin and it came up skunk. For the 50th it will be the bear. But we can't find a decent replica of the little red bear.

Does anyone out there, have a picture of the bear? It needs to be something "substantial", not just a bunch of dots that kind of look like the bear. Don't worry about color. We can add color later. We've found many references to the bear on the internet, but very few images of it. Use the Contact Us section to send us a jpg (or equivalent) of the bear. Thank you for your help.

Have you moved? Check your Classmate Info entry and make sure your address, phone, and e-mail address are up-to-date.

October 10, 2011: 40,000 hits! Can you believe it?
There are a number of items to discuss, so sit down with your laptop, iPad, desktop, abacus, etc. and let's sort them all out. Let's start with a...

...Little Known Fact: If you get pregnant RIGHT NOW it's likely you will deliver your baby during next year's 50th reunion. Special prizes will be given to anyone delivering on one of the exact reunion dates (July 20-21-22, 2012). Don't miss out on this opportunity of a lifetime!!! Note: You must be present to win.

Many class members filled out the "Classmate Info" section for the 45th reunion. Many have updated it, but many have not. Please check out your entry and update it as needed. Several addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses are now out of date. Use the adjoining cartoon as a reminder.

There is a new section on the website called "Recollections". It is a collection of stories and anecdotes about things that happened during high school. These are memories that you experienced or stories that included other class members. They can be whatever was memorable to you. If you have a story to tell, jot it down and send it in. We'll make sure it isn't embarrassing to anyone. Please, no porn, don't be mean, and don't mention anything for which you can still be prosecuted.

There is another new section called "Our Teachers" which should really be labeled "Our Teachers Who We Know Are Deceased", but since labels can only be about 16 characters long, it has been shortened.

Along the same lines, there is a new Photo Album (#38) containing photos of the teachers. They come from the Annual and are often used in the Recollections section. Many teacher first names are missing. Did some teachers really have Mr./Mrs./Miss as their first names? If you know a teacher's first name, use the Contact Us section to clue us in.

Have you noticed that the 2012 Event section is missing? That's because the Saturday and Sunday venues for the 50th reunion are still not ready for prime time. Sunday looks like it will be Stewart Park with The LakeWatch Inn (www.lakewatchinn.com) as a backup in case of rain, heat, need for restrooms, etc. It cannot be finalized until we reach the date when we can reserve Stewart Park. Once finalized, the 2012 Events section will magically appear.

There are always some people from high school who can remember everything that happened there.

September 10, 2011: 39,000 hits. We have a new section on the website. It's called Recollections and has stories that come from our experiences in high school. The former story section has become Current Stories and contains stories about after we left high school. Jeff Nulle has volunteered to write some Recollections stories to give everyone an idea of what to contribute. No pressure here, you can just enjoy Jeff's stories or contribute your own.

Saturday and Sunday venues are still being negotiated. It takes time to get these contracts just right. Reminder: Make your room reservations now for next summer. It looks like we'll exceed the 200 attendee mark again. Couple that with other classes that have the insensitivity to schedule their reunions on the same weekend, and hotel rooms will be at a premium.

She forgot to make hotel reservations. Don't let this be you!

August 10, 2011: 38,000 hits. Apologies for not announcing the 38K hits earlier. We were hoping to have signed contracts for the venues. Perhaps at 39K?

So far over 150 class members and guests expect to be at next year's reunion. Five years ago, the count was 0 mostly because there wasn't even a Reunion Committee yet. At the current rate, we should have over half a million people attending the reunion. There may not be enough hotel rooms in Ithaca to hold them all. Which brings up another subject...make your reservations for the reunion now. Hotels generally accept reservations within one year before an event.

So you wonder why you haven't gotten a notice about the reunion? Did you tell anyone your address, e-mail, or phone number?

July 29, 2011: The latest Save-The-Date announcement was sent out to all class members who have registered their e-mail address. People who have not registered an e-mail address or post office address will have to wait a few days for us to call you. No phone either? Oh, well. Don't count on us being able to contact you.

The reunion venues have been selected and the contracts for them are being signed as we speak. You already know about the Friday venue...Valentine Cafe just like last time. But the Saturday evening venue and the Sunday morning venue will be announced once the signings are complete.

Your To Do List:
1. Let Rita whether you plan to attend or not (or maybe).
2. Be sure to enter your contact information on the website. It makes contacting you easier.

Two class members meet in the entrance line at the Reunion.

July 11, 2011: 37,000 hits. The Reunion Committee continues its search for every class member. Having knocked on every door in the U.S., the next step is to do the same in other countries. But which countries??? The 7-person Committee vote was: 1 vote for Jungle countries, 1 vote for Mountainous countries, 1 vote for Arctic countries, and 33 votes for Nice Weather countries that have beaches (some people may have voted more than once). So next month the Committee will be on the French Riviera looking for class members.

The Saturday and Sunday venues still haven't been finalized. But Friday night has been! It will be at the same location as it was at the 45th reunion. So resurrect your GPS and dial in the Valentine Cafe. Once again, John Novarr is graciously inviting the class to start the weekend with food, music, and HooRUze at his place. The Committee members assigned to handing out nametags at the entrance promise to keep the line moving slowly so that everyone can renew acquaintances with the people in front of them and behind them.

June 10, 2011: 36,000 hits. We've gotten a tremendous response to the save-the-date announcement last month. We still need for everyone to fill in the Classmate Info section on the website. This will guarantee that you receive all the reunion information as it becomes available since it will allow the Reunion Committee to find you.

And speaking of the Reunion Committee, four of them were recently found sampling the fare at La Tourelle, one of the leading candidates for hosting a reunion event. Sampling the menus at various possible venues is a tough job, but they seem up to it. Anne Powell happened to be wandering around the vicinity, and so joined them for the photo. From left-to-right is Hap Gray, Anne Powell, Darlene Lynch Klein, Rita Riley Nicholas, and Dick Dropkin.

Whatever did our parents do without TV? Read a book? No, really?

May 9, 2011: 35,000 hits. The Save-The-Date announcement went out a week ago. It was no surprise that the 50th reunion would be on the weekend of July 20-22, 2012 since it was exactly the same dates for the 45th reunion. Are we creatures of habit? However, if we continue past the 50th, new dates will have to be chosen or we'll end up with a mid-week reunion. Not that there's anything wrong with that. After all, once you're retired, does a Tuesday look any different than a Saturday? Answer: Yes, the traffic at the mall is worse on Saturday.

Have you filled out your info for the Classmate Info section? We've found that several people have moved during the past five years, and their address/phone/e-mail have changed. Mysteriously, most are moving south. But why? The arctic is melting and the future high-end real estate is in northern Manitoba or maybe Alberta. Check out Churchill, Manitoba. It's pretty cool. To keep up with reunion news, be sure your info is up-to-date. And note that your address/phone/e-mail are not displayed for security reasons.

It's in a box in the basement...maybe?

April 19, 2011: So you lost/destroyed/obliterated your IHS yearbook from 1962 and want a new one? If you click on the following link, you can get a new one. Who had the foresight to stockpile yearbooks in 1962 just to make a profit in 2011?

http://www.amazon.com/Reprint-1962-Yearbook-Ithaca-School/dp/B00428LZF0/ref=sr_1_1/184-7083407-6367316?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303238230&sr=1-1

Did we have refrigerators when we graduated? If so, who won this award?

April 4, 2011: 34,000 hits. Venues for the 50th reunion continue to be scrutinized. They'll be announced as soon as they're finalized. There are still about 30 people in hiding...no info about them, and just under a hundred who need to confirm their info (address, phone number, and e-mail address). If you get a call in the middle of the night, it's probably a member of the Search Committee looking for you. Do not panic! They're innocuous. There is no prize for being the last one found. Filling out the Classmate Info section will do it.

At this point, you don't even have to have liked your High School years. By the way, of all the years one normally experiences, the High School years were voted the most difficult. (The writer just made this up.)

Jeffrey Van Blake

March 7, 2011: This is a rare request, but take a moment and try to recall if you knew Jeffrey Van Blake. He transferred to our class probably during our junior year from Scattergood HS in Westbranch, Iowa. A member of that school is looking for him to ask him to join their reunion. If anyone knows his whereabouts, please use the Contact Us form to let the webmaster know so that he can pass along the information.

The suggestion box is open for business!

March 1, 2011: Hits: 33,000. The Reunion Committee is starting to look for venues for the 50th reunion. While some classes are having their reunion in exotic locations like Florida, the Class of 1962 continues to hold their reunions in Ithaca. At least we don't have them in February in a blizzard.

But, unless they recently built Disnewyork in Ithaca, the catalog of exotic venues in Ithaca is not overwhelming. Sure, we've got a nice lake, but having a reunion dinner on a raft is not all that appetizing. And, unfortunately, we need a location that can accommodate rain.

An instant poll of class members yielded these two themes: (1) "The venues for the 45th reunion were great! Why change them?", and (2) "Let's all fly to Paris for dinner." Of course, option #2 might appear preferable, but after checking with Mohawk Airlines, the Committee found that airplanes seating over 200 people were not available for our reunion dates. Changing the dates was an option, but everyone knows to save July 20-21-22, 2012, so an Ithaca venue is likely. Stay tuned for the venue choices...or send in suggestions (use the Contact Us link).

Former generations of IHS students reminisce about their class photos.

January 23, 2011: Just passed 32,000 hits. We're not the only class with a website. Here are the other Ithaca High School class sites:

Class	Website	Status
1958	www.ihs58.com	Active
1960	www.ithaca1960.com	Active
1961	www.ithaca1961.com	Active
1962	www.ithaca1962.com	Active
1967	www.ihsclassof1967.myevent.com	Active
1975	www.ihs75.com	Active
1976	www.ihs76.blogspot.com	Active
1977	www.ihsreunions.org	Active
1978	www.IHS1978.com	Active
1983	www.ihsclassof83.com	Active
1984	www.ihs84reunion.com	Not active
1986	www.ihs86.bravehost.com	Active
1987	www.ihs1987.org	Not active

"Active" means the website is active. "Not Active" means it might have been active at one time, but it isn't active now. Are there websites for other classes? These are the ones compiled by the IHS Alumni Association.

January 1, 2011: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone got home safely. There is BIG news today...

Was just doing the usual thing after dinner last night...watching Jeopardy on TV and waiting for the New Year's Party to start. One of the contestants looked a bit familiar. It was someone named Lyn Thomas from Seattle. We have a Lyn Thomas (formerly Lynette Bulche) in our class who lives in the Seattle area, but what were the odds that it was the same person??? A quick call to Seattle settled the issue...it WAS the same person. And to make the story even better, SHE WON!!! Turn on Jeopardy (7:00pm on CBS from M-F) and watch on Monday (Jan 3rd). Will she win again? She wouldn't divulge that information, but we'll find out! Lyn is married to Bill Thomas, also in our class. After Lyn's great victory, Bill is reduced to do doing menial household chores. When you live with a famous TV star, you do what you can to get by.

December 21, 2010: Lizzy Evett shares a story with the class. See the "Stories" section for the rest of the story.

Who needs a refrigerator in this weather?

December 17, 2010: 31,000 hits is passed. This will make you snowbirds feel good...in Ohio, we've had snow 16 of the 17 days in December with more to come this week. The day it didn't snow, it sleeted. Some people think the weather in Ohio in winter is bad. They are right. But it doesn't compare to the strings of 90 degree days in summer. Why, you ask, do people live in such a place? Because...umm...nobody knows why.

Here's a NEW feature that will occur from time-to-time. It's items from the current IHS Tattler. Today we feature the New Kulp...

The New Kulp

- By EMILY S.
It’s unanimous: the new Kulp Auditorium is a hit. From freshmen to teachers, everyone is pleased with the new facilities. Some of the new additions to the auditorium include sound boards, a catwalk, new seats and a brand new sound booth. Yet as impressive as these additions are, they only scratch the surface of our new state-of-the-art high school musical facility.

November 9, 2010: The 30,000th hit is no longer anticipated. It was here and gone sometime early this afternoon. It's been a quiet month or two since we last hit a milestone. Nobody got married, had any children, won the lottery (as far as we know), or passed away. Just another day in the neighborhood. Keep up the good work.

Butch all dressed up and ready to go to graduation...but with which class???

November 7, 2010: As we approach the holiday season, and anticipate our 30,000th hit on the website, an issue has come up that we need to present to you...the mysterious case of Wayne Eugene "Butch" Schlock. Really. That's his name. He passed away on October 26, 1997. Does anyone remember him? This is like a Twilight Zone episode: The Disappearing Case of Butch Schlock. Some people in various classes recall him, but details are vague and nobody seems to recall when he graduated. If you have any firm recollection of him graduating with the Class of 1962, please contact the Reunion Committee (rgarmise@columbus.rr.com). Butch, in his graduation robe, appears here.

The Yellow Card looks nothing like the one you get in soccer. At least, that's what someone who knows something about soccer claims.

October 12, 2010: See Note #3 in the Sept 4th message below. Many of the Ithaca High School alumni have recently received a yellow card (see above) from Harris publishers. Because of security reasons, the Reunion Committee will not release your private information. However, you may respond to this request if you like.

Just testing out clever statements to use after each 50th Reunion event ends.

October 10, 2010: There have been 29,000 hits on the website as of 10-10-10. We know what you're thinking...how can I tell if someone has changed their information? There are two ways:
1. If you're looking in the You Send Me section, you'll notice the date underneath the person's name. If that date is after July, 2007 (the 45th Reunion), then it has been added or updated since then.
2. If you're looking in the Classmate Info section then use the "Sort By:" field, select "Latest Edit" and the latest info will be at the top of the listing.

The first way is the easiest since if the person's e-mail is what changed, you can contact the person directly. It also contains class members who did not submit a Classmate Info profile.

If you don't update your Classmates Info, this is what's going to happen!

September 4, 2010: We flew by 28,000 hits on Sept 4th. It's time to highlight a few things.
#1: The planning for the 50th reunion is progressing well. The Reunion Committee is planning it for 2012 since that would be the correct year to hold it. None of the venues have been selected yet, but the plan is to have a Friday evening party, a Saturday afternoon/evening affair, and a Sunday brunch.
#2: Please update your Classmate Info if there are changes. The key items are your address, phone number(s), and e-mail address. These are needed to contact you. However, none are shown on the website for security reasons.
#3: Note that some of the info in #2 will NOT be released to any outside source. There actually are some groups that want it. Probably to sell you some patent medicines you can use for your gout. Check the Classmates Info section to see what is shown. Those of you with secret identities can rest assured that your secret is safe with us (are you listening, Clark, Bruce, Peter, etc.?).
THIS JUST IN! <Battisti-Click Here>

Add Usernames and Passwords to Death and Taxes.

August 12, 2010: We have a problem. We want to collect class member addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, but we don't want to show them on the website because they all can be used for nefarious purposes (ID theft). But to do that, we need to assign an ID (aka Login aka Username) and password (aka pw) for each person. We were originally in favor of an open website...no IDs, no passwords, but that just isn't smart with the type of info we're requesting.

When you go to the Classmate Info section there's a long narrative at the top with a flimsy plot and no character development. In essence, it says that if you want to edit your profile, you'll either have to (1) click on Edit Profile and get an ID/pw, or (2) send the info to Bob Garmise, the current webmaster, who will enter the info for you. Bob is hoping you'll select door #1.

Insert hysterically humorous comment here.

August 2, 2010: We have NOT reached a new thousand hits mark, but there is a major change to the website. The new Calendar page was tested and we couldn't figure out what to do with a calendar. After all, we're all mostly retired. The calendar is probably the last thing we need. So one day the calendar was in, and the next day it was out.

However, after testing the new Memorials page, it's been incorporated into the website. Before, the Deceased List was a list of deceased class members with some obituaries. Now it's that AND a place for people to write tributes. Feel free to add your own tribute to your friends from the class. This feature can be used by class members and guests.

In addition, we don't have obits for many of the class members who have passed away. If you can get copies of the obits, do so and send them to the Contact Us people.

Will someone please explain what this means?

July 23, 2010: We passed the 27,000 hit mark today, and there's a bit of news. After several minutes of deliberation, the Reunion Committee has decided to renew the website for 5 more years (until Nov 2017). They also voted to continuing renewing it until nobody in the class is left. Then remove it. It's not clear how this plan is going to work out.

On the same front, the Service Provider we use for the website has added a number of new features being tested over the next few months. The one in testing now is the Calendar. It currently contains all the national holidays and the tentative dates for the 50th reunion. The Committee is looking at other things the calendar should include.

Also being studied are various plans for the 50th reunion. All members can join in this by sending Committee Members ideas for events. The current plan is to have a total blowout party to end all parties by flying everyone to Paris for lunch. There's a chance that this plan will be scaled back at some point when reality hits.

The Classmates Info section now has a button called: "Send This Person a Message". It's provided by our Service Provider and is the same as the "You Send Me" section. They liked what we did and copied us. We decided not to sue them for copyright infringement. Anyway, we can't eliminate the "You Send Me" section because not everyone is in the Classmates Info section and we want everyone to be able to contact everyone else. We're looking at ways to eliminate this redundancy.

The Class of 1962 continues to encounter Medicare.

June 8, 2010: We just passed the 26,000 hit mark about ten minutes ago. There is considerable news...
- The Search Committee is back in action: With the help of the Class of 1961, we're finding more members of our class. Apparently, during the 1940's people had children one year after the other, and so many siblings found themselves in consecutive classes. We're using links to siblings to find 1962 members.
- New class member found: Although Elizabeth Long graduated with the Class of 1961, she was a member of our class for many more years. We welcome her from Texas where a visit does not require a passport.
- Old class member passes away: Dale Harrington passed away in early June. When we get an official obit, it will be on the Deceased List.
- The Linda Leagans Story: Linda was in our class. But near as we can tell, another Linda in a preceeding class married our Linda's brother causing there to be two Linda Leagans. This should be illegal, but in several states (approx. 50 of them), it's perfectly fine even though it wreaks havoc with reunion coordinators. Our Linda is not dead, but is also not found. Are you out there, Linda? Contact us.
- That's all for now.

Medicare enters the picture.

April 29, 2010: As expected, we hit 25,000 website hits right on schedule. The recent news is that spring has finally arrived in the north. Those of you in FL, CA, AZ, TX, etc. are probably experiencing summer, and are grateful that you didn't get the record snows this past winter. Those of us in the midwest are in the midst of football season. If you are unfortunate enough to live in other parts of the country, you probably don't realize that it's ALWAYS football season in the midwest. Enjoy whatever season you're having.

Maybe we'll hit 25,000 hits a month from now?

March 15, 2010: It's the Ides of March and we just passed 24,000 hits on the website. Coincidence? Maybe. We continue to have class members submit their Classmate Info and encourage all those who haven't to join in. We're also checking the Class of 1961 website (Ithaca1961.com) for interesting ideas on how to improve our website. This is kind of a cooperative venture since we've been working together for many months.

February 14, 2010: If you grew up on East Hill, then the attached obit will mean something to you. Tony Petrillose was "our" barber throughout our childhood and teenage years. For some, he was our barber for our adult and even relatively old age years, too. He passed away recently and his obituary is attached. Click on >Tony< to see it.

The Class of 1962 appreciates the invitation.

February 2, 2010: Groundhog's Day. More winter. What did you expect? So...when was the last time you were the youngest person in the room? Here's your chance. The Class of 1961 is having their mid-winter get-together in Ft. Myers, FL on Feb 20th. Not much time to plan, but if you're in the area, here's the details from Margie James Perna...

I'm forwarding this notice to the Class of 1962 that maybe you would be interested in attending Ithaca Night in Ft. Myers. It is for any Ithacan and has been going on for many years starting with Members of the Ithaca Elks Club/Yengo Family and open to all.

Regards,

Margie

Here's the invitation...

CLASSMATES: Annual Ithaca Night in Ft. Myers
Saturday, Feb. 20th at Myerlee Country Club, 1380 Myerlee Country Club Drive, Fort Myers Fl 33919 (Use map quest for directions)

Social hour at 4PM and dinner at 6PM. Choice at dinner is either pot roast or fish and cost is $20 each. Contact: Sally Yengo Gutowsky for your choice. Her email is: sogut2me@aol.com

Surely hope you are able to be there.

P.S. If you haven't visited our website www.ithaca1961.com check it out and sign our classmate directory.

And, yes, it was all in pink!

You've got to plan for retirement.

January 26, 2010: Welcome to the new decade. Or for some, not. Right on schedule, we hit the 23,000 hits mark today. By the way, this doesn't include any of the times the web admin has accessed the website. Nobody has died recently. Nobody has had a new baby recently. Isn't "new" and "baby" kind of redundant? Several class members are on their way to Florida by now. Others moved there years ago anticipating their retirement. The rest of us just can't part with the snow.

It had to happen sometime.

December 28, 2009: We almost made it to the end of the year without a Facebook page. Almost. Now we have one: Ithaca1962. The question is: Why do we have one? The answer is...hmm...who knows? Anyway, those of you who are more comfortable using Facebook than e-mail or whatever can now celebrate. It's possible that we'll use it to broadcast reunion events and plans for the 50th in two years. So, if you want to sign-up for it, feel free to go to the page and do so. Well...that's the end of the big sell. Everyone...have a Happy New Year and make some challenging resolutions...like not using so many ellipses in...2010.

Everyone have a wonderful holiday season. Stay safe. Stay healthy. And enjoy the relatives. They mean well.

December 14, 2009: Up to 22,000 hits. The most recent conversation has been with the Class of 1960. They look like they're headed towards a website, too. But for the Class of 1962, we're all mostly grappling with the intricacies of Medicare, retirement, and trying to live on $NotEnough$ each month. Gone are the days of flying off to Paris for lunch, spending long hours at the $1,000 blackjack tables, and buying baseball teams on a whim. We're relegated to KFC, bingo, and watching baseball on TV if we can stay awake.

Sometimes you wonder if you can make a difference.

November 26, 2009: By now you're probably thinking: "Just another thousand hits. Will this never end?" Well, you're wrong, in error, totally off base. This is about gas. Specifically, the kind of gas mentioned in a letter from Liz Evett, a member of our class and addressed to YOU. Please click on this link to read it: >LizEvettLetter< and then go to the appropriate link mentioned in the letter and please sign it. Have you ever known Liz to steer you wrong?

Check out who's not dead after all.

October 24, 2009: 21,000 hits came and went yesterday. Check out www.Ithaca1961.com for the website for (you guessed it) the Class of 1961. They claim to only have 13 "missing" class members which is phenomenal. We have 37 missing members. We clearly have a Missing Member Gap (MMG) that we need to overcome. Just because the entire class of 1961 never left the Ithaca area is no excuse.

Which brings us to the latest Not Deceased After All (NDAA) entry. Apparently, Linda Leagans did not pass away after all. It was her sister-in-law, Linda Begent Leagans who died. Linda Begent was in the Class of 1961 and married Linda Leagans' brother. So, Linda, if you're out there, give us a call. You are more than welcome to rejoin the Class of 1962 where you belong.

, no matter how _____ it is.

September 11, 2009: We just passed the 20,000 hit mark today.
As we get a bit older, we seem to read the daily newspaper "differently". To get a feel for that, a brief survey of class members was taken. Here are the results.
-I check the obits every morning to make sure nothing catastrophic happened to me yesterday.
-I get all the news I need from the weather report. [this sounds vaguely familiar.
-I check the financial section to make sure I can still afford to buy lunch or, if not, have enough leftover crab cakes for my bag lunch.
-I confirm that my teams all lost by huge margins. Again.
-I try to find a chuckle in the comics to help me make it thru breakfast.
-I check the editorials to see what I should be thinking today.
-I read the Racing Form from cover to cover every day.
-I don't read the paper because they're all written by commie, nazi, socialist, middle-of-the-road weirdoes.
-I am in favor of it. No wait! I hate it. What was the question again?
-I can't read. I attribute it to the Ithaca school system.
-Even though I only get WNBF, I still read the TV Guide every day.

Bike Week is happening right now!

August 3, 2009: All of a sudden we're on a different schedule. We passed the 19,000 hits mark today and it wasn't scheduled to be passed until August 15th. Apparently, some of you got wind of the breaking news and wanted to find out immediately.

The Reunion Committee has been having some high level talks and have come to some startling conclusions. Two Committee Members (CM) recalled ice cream trucks when they were growing up, one on Eastwood Ave and the other on Pleasant Ave. One CM recalled there wasn't one on Dryden Road. The other four CMs couldn't remember anything about ice cream trucks. Or anything else for that matter. One CM bemoaned the removal of the Johnny's Big Red Bear sign in Collegetown. It wasn't clear how this was related to ice cream trucks.

In totally non-related matters, the Class of 1961 looks like they're going to implement their own website. Being so much older than us, we're offering to help them along. Speaking of older, have you all received your medicare packet yet? If not, you probably skipped some grades which is nothing to be ashamed of. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for your packet which is chock full of really boring stuff.

And the really BIG news is from Hap Gray who continues to search for classmates worldwide. This time he had to go all the way to MA to find Marcia Robinson, our Class Secretary. Hi Marcia! And then, he went to AZ to find Ann MacEachron. Hi Ann! As we speak, Hap is in Sturgis, SD looking for classmates at the annual Sturgis Rally (Bike Week). Check out www.sturgis.com to see if you can find a photo of everyone and play the Where's Hap game. Hint: He's the round, bald one in black leathers riding a Harley.

Life goes on.

July 1, 2009: We just flew past 18,000 hits. Just like clockwork, we have 1,000 hits every month and a half. This past month it probably can be attributed to Dennis Sheheen who submitted an updated current photo. Since that's all that changed, it must be the reason so many people tuned in to check the website.

There is some related news. The Class of 1961 is getting a jump on us by having their next reunion a year earlier than we are. We've had talks with them, and they may go the website route, too. They were impressed that due solely to the website, we were able to attract all 400+ members of our class to our last reunion. It's possible, I may have misled them somewhat.

May 15, 2009: Nothing new. Nothing changed. Just the same old - same old. Softball season is in full swing. Are all of you still playing? Oh, and by the way, we passed the 17,000 hits mark last evening when nobody was looking. That's website hits, not softball hits.

The webmaster is an equal opportunity plagiarist.

April 3, 2009: We passed the 16,000 hits mark today. How about a contest? All you have to do is guess why people keep signing onto a reunion website when it's almost two years since the last reunion and three years until the next one.

Your reunion committee is hard at work planning the 50th reunion. Actually, that's a lie. They aren't even thinking about it. In fact, most are sailing the Mediterranean using the millions they made at the last reunion. That's also a lie. Would you believe that they are still hiding in their basements waiting for spring to arrive?

The class has suffered some losses lately. They are listed in the Deceased List.

Mary Ellen Bossack looks the same today as she did in high school. How does she do it?

Afternoon of March 14: There is a lot going on today. First we hear about Frank Battisti. Now we find out that Mary Ellen Bossack is running for office in Dryden. Read all about it! Click >Mary Ellen< to read the article. We have studied the election rules in Dryden and have concluded that every member of a candidate's high school class is eligible to vote. Therefore, please submit an absentee ballot addressed to Mary Ellen. Be sure to fill out your name and address (101 Main Street, Dryden, NY). Don't bother filling out the rest of the ballot. She'll do it for you.

Mr. Frank Battisti as he looks today. Just imagine what he looked like 47 years ago when we graduated!

March 14...Happy Pi Day: An important announcement! It isn't often you see those words on this site, but this is one of those times. Check out the following link: Frank. If you have no plans for May 7th, why not drop by and join the celebration?

February 18, 2009: We've passed the 15,000 hits level. That qualifies us for a brand new set of Fuller brushes. Those class members who live in the south should not read the next part because they might get jealous.

I don't know about you folks who live in Ithaca, but here in Ohio, the average temperature has been about -5 degrees. We've had record snowfalls. We've had record winds exceeding hurricane force. And we've had to use a record amount of plastic to cover our windows. Aren't you glad you don't have to live in the south where life is so boring? Please don't let the people in the south find out about this or they'll all want to move back north.

Let the party begin!

January 1, 2009: It's quite a day! Not only is it New Year's Day, but we just passed the 14,000 hits mark on the website. Hope you all had a happy and safe New Year's Eve. How many recorded it and are confirming right now that the ball really did drop and we're finally done with 2008? Time to go...it's almost time for 12 straight hours of football. Those of us living in Ohio are contractually obligated to watch every football game.

November 30, 2008: Some sad news. See the attached article by clicking on this link: LINK. We've lost a great teacher and inspiration to many students at Ithaca High School.

Sometimes fortunes aren't all they're cracked up to be.

November 18, 2008: Why do people keep signing onto this website? Don't you know that nothing is happening? Anyway, we passed 13,000 hits on Nov 15th. And then there was actual news that arrived. Check out the website: http://calculator.livingto100.com/. It will tell you how long you will live to the nearest minute. Well, maybe not the minute, but at least the year. Whomever gets the highest value can win the Last One Standing Award in advance! The award is having the chance to plan your own reunion and to only send out one invitation...to yourself. And, by the way, the Reunion Committee took a vote, and although it wasn't unanimous, most wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Barb is on the left.

October 18, 2008: Wait until you see this!!! Click on this link: http://www.13wham.com/content/news/thismorning/dwrs/default.aspx
Guess who WINNER Barbara Crowley is...RIGHT...it's Barbara ROSS Crowley...from our very own Class of 1962. She competed in Rochester's Dancing With The Stars competition and WON! Also check out some other videos at: www.youtube.com/mrsbarbaracrowley. Barb, we're very proud of you! Maybe you won't be sailing around the world next time we have a reunion, because if there was one thing that stood out at last year's affair it's that some of us could really use dancing lessons.

October 13, 2008: Ithaca made the national news! It was on Yahoo this morning. All that's available is the link. Hope it still works.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081013/ap_on_bi_ge/podcar_city

And, by the way, we passed 12,000 hits on October 1, 2008.

October 1, 2008: Now that many of us are either 64 years old or in the vicinity, here's the checklist you've been waiting for.
1. Are you losing your hair?
2. Will your spouse/other person/significant other (SOS) send you a valentine?
3. Will your SOS send you birthday greetings?
4. Will they send you a bottle of wine?
5. If you've been out till 2:45 a.m., will they lock the door?
6. Will they still need you?
7. Will they still feed you?
Enter line #8 here. Win a cupie doll. What is a cupie doll anyway?

August 15, 2008 (extrapolated): Passed the 11,000 mark in hits. Plan to graph and annotate this data and turn it into Miss Neighbor and Mr. Schroeder for extra credit. Love those extra credit projects that get credit in two classes. Hmm...set it to music for Mr. Battisti and sing out the results in French for Mr. Mason and Miss Miller.

A question Hap asks his mirror each day.

August 1, 2008: Hap Gray is on the road. A new Photo Album is tracking his tour of the U.S., Canada, and wherever else he wants to go. He's looking for Class of 1962 members all over the place. We'll see where it takes him. So far, NH, NY, and OH.

[Clever caption goes here...send your entries to the Contact Us person.]

July 2, 2008: Less than two months have passed since the last news item and we're now over 10,000 hits! The webmaster is feeling significant pressure to put something on the website that is new. Well, there is very little to report. We're coming up on the 1st reunion of our 45th reunion. It's party time! A few people have passed away in the past year (see the red entries in the Deceased List). The Reunion Committee is looking for someone to donate a plane so that everyone who attends the next reunion can fly to London for lunch, Paris for dinner, and Rome just because it's there. Any volunteers?

It's just the way it is. Hypothetical math rules!

May 9, 2008: Three months ago to the day, we passed the 8,000 hit mark. Now we've just passed the 9,000 hit mark. Assuming this rate continues, we'll have over 25,000 hits by the time of the 50th reunion (1,000/3 months = 4,000/year * 4 years = 16,000 + 9,000 so far = 25,000).

May 3, 2008: Absolutely nothing has happened during the past three months. Except that the price of gas is almost the same as the price of a car in 1962. And people are getting thrown out of their homes and living in their cars which is ok since they can't afford to drive them anyway. And the Reunion Committee is already making plans for the 2012 reunion. Not really. We just thought we'd get your hopes up and then dash them. Did it work? But one final note...the look of the website has changes again. Snow is out. Nostalgia is in. The content remains the same.

February 9, 2008: For some reason, the number of hits on this site has dropped off. Nevertheless, we just passed the 8,000 hit mark so somebody is still thinking that something is going to change. Maybe it will. So keep looking.

January 1, 2008: Happy New Year to the Class of 1962! How many of you can still remember 2007?

It's time for The Year In Review:
January - June: Nothing happened
July: The Fantastic 45th Reunion!
August - December: Nothing happened

Have a wonderful 2008!

Note: Number of website visits by the end of the year: 7,540 (a record for the site)

December 8, 2007: A new section: Deceased List has been added to the website. The date of death, as near as we can tell, has been added along with a link to an obit. The Missing You section no longer contains the deceased list. From now on, the deceased will be remembered by a photo in the Deceased Class Members Photo Album, an entry in the Deceased List section, and a notation in their Classmate Info if they submitted one.

December 1, 2007: The website passed the 7,000 hit level today...or close to today since nobody was in the forest when the tree fell to confirm the date. Is everyone having an exciting holiday season? We had our first snowfall yesterday in central Ohio (4"). The city came to a standstill. We're not used to snow. Usually, it's warm and sunny all year round.

November 25, 2007: Gary Golway passed away on Friday, November 23, 2007 from leukemia. He had been sick for several months, and had missed the reunion because of it. There will be a funeral service in Ithaca around December 7th. Check with Rita for more information.

From now on, check The Deceased List in the Missing You section for people who have passed away. They will be marked in red. Also, there were several people we could not locate for the 45th reunion. They may or may not have passed away. They will also be shown in red if the former is the case.

Until we meet again.

October 25, 2007: The photos are as finished as they ever will be! The 45th reunion is history and we can look forward to the 50th in 5 years. Same dates, different year. This website will be available for the next 5 years, so if you have an address change, new e-mail address, new phone number, etc., let us know so that we can keep our records up-to-date.

After you scan the photos for people you know, you can go back to attempting to play golf or whatever it is you do all day.

October 5, 2007: The photos all have captions. All 10 million of them. They are broken down by day (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). But we need help. If a person is identified like this: [1] or [2], it means that we cannot remember their name. This memory loss will occur even more at the 50th reunion. If a person is identified like this: Boss Hogg?, it means we think the person is Boss Hogg, but can't remember for certain.

If you can fill in names for either in either situation, e-mail me at rgarmise@columbus.rr.com and I'll put them in. Also, if you know for certain that a name is wrong, but can't recall the correct name, let me know that, also. Include the Photo Album day, Part number, Photo number, and modification in your e-mail.

Once all the names are on the photos, we'll eliminate the duplicates. So once again, if you want to save a photo, now is the time to do it.

Woohoo indeed!

September 21, 2007: The website hit counter reached 6,000 today. That means that the 100 people who have seen the website have averaged 60 hits apiece. What does everyone find so intriguing about the website? We could take a poll, but then the hit count would hit 7,000 tomorrow. On another front, names are slowly being applied to the reunion photos. Hap Gray has joined Rita in putting names to photos. Let us know if we missed something. No, not if we're "missing" something. We already know that. Just if we've missed something with the photo labels.

Yep, it is...just pick the same dates for every reunion.

September 13, 2007: BIG NEWS! The Reunion Committee has tentatively agreed on the date for the 50th reunion. It will be the same as the one just held, except that the year will be 2012 instead of 2007. That is...July 20-22, 2012. It's just lucky that 2007 and 2012 have the same calendar for July. Make your reservations now! Motel rooms are going fast! Now you can spend the next 5 years watching the number of days until the reunion on the home page head towards zero. Right now it's at 1,771 days. Note: While the date is subject to change, it probably won't do so. But if it does, you'll be the first to know.

There will be a lot of names we can't recall so don't feel left out. In fact, you're likely to be a part of the majority.

September 10, 2007: Merchandise from the Reunion will be available through September 15th. After that date, nada, zippo, forget it. You have until the end of this week to get your order in.

We are starting to put names with faces in the photo sections. We're starting with Friday night and moving forward. So far we've labeled over 10 photos. If you see a name in [brackets] it means that the person was a guest, didn't graduate with us, or whatever. If you see a [1] it means we can't recall the person's name. That's no news flash since many of us didn't recognize our own photo. If you know who the person is, let us know by e-mail to Rita.

Some of the photos show places that require you to hike in. Be sure to take sufficient supplies, like chocolate, beer, and totally legal drugs with you if you go.

August 19, 2007: Photos of things around Ithaca have been added to the Photo Albums section. There are not hundreds of photos, but there are enough to show people the area you were unable to visit during the reunion because you preferred to sleep 15 hours a day.

At this point, the changes to the website will be few and far between. We will put the names and captions on the photos, but other than that, the website will remain relatively static. However, it is suggested that you visit it every month or so to see if there's anything new. And don't forget...if you move, change your phone number, or change your e-mail address, go to the I'm Movin' On section and let us know.

For detailed-oriented people who have a need to know:
Total Reunion Photos (Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Ithaca): 1,271
Total Photos (all photo albums): 1,874

It seemed to take forever to edit and get the photos on the website, but here they are. Want more? Send them to the webmaster and he will thank you (with clenched teeth).

August 14, 2007: The Sunday Breakfast photos are finally in the Photo Album section. The webmaster has been busy playing softball all weekend and apologizes for the agony you all must have gone through waiting for these photos. Again, like the other events, Sunday has been broken down into meaningless segments so that you can be totally confused about where to look for a specific photo.

August 8, 2007: The photos for Friday and Saturday are now on the website. There are some Sunday photos there also, but they are not up to date. The latest photos for Sunday will show everyone 3 weeks older.

If you want a copy of a photo, follow the directions. If not, don't follow them. If you see yourself in a photo that you don't like, e-mail the webmaster (see Contact Us) and he will remove it. The next step is to put name/captions on the photos and display the Sunday photos.

There's also a new section. It's called I'm Movin' On and it allows you to easily change your address, phone number, e-mail address, or anything else about you that we keep in the Master List. It's an attempt to make finding people for the 50th reunion much easier than it was for this reunion.

We're going to have to move to Plan B. But we don't have a Plan B. Stay tuned.

August 5, 2007: Until late this past week, more and more photos were being entered onto the website. Oops. We hit the upper limit. We found out that we could only enter 1,000 photos. And we still have about 600 to go. We're in frantic negotiations with MyEvent, our website provider, to increase the number to a billion. Until that time, we cannot enter any more photos which is too bad because all the good ones still need to be put out there.

August 1, 2007: More photos keep being entered, but the process is slow. There are now 347 photos out there in five Albums (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). If you took some photos, but not a lot, feel free to submit them to the webmaster by attaching them to an e-mail and sending the e-mail to: rgarmise@columbus.rr.com. And to answer your next question, I do live near Columbus, Ohio.

As many of you know, Columbus is the Number 2 city in the country having finished second in NCAA football, second in NCAA basketball, and second in Arena Football. Match that you people from Florida who love bagpipes! You know who you are.

...and the webmaster continues to be confused to this day...

July 30, 2007: There are a few photos in the Photo Albums section. We are limited to 98 photos in any album, so expect several albums for each event. The webmaster will attempt to lend some organization to the photos, but don't expect much. There are just too many of them...over 1,500 at last count with more expected. His clever plan to recruit Official Reunion Photographers ran amok. Nevertheless, each photo will be carefully posted on the website if there is room.

The reunion was considered a success by many.

July 24, 2007: The reunion has been analyzed and the results are being written up and sent to the Guinness Book of World Records.

A couple of notes...reunion merchandise can be ordered until September 15th. After that date...no can order.

We are still collecting info (address, e-mail, phone) for the Master List so that people may be easier to find next time.

Some of you came from very far away and it was much appreciated...you know who you are...CA, AZ, NM, NV, WA, etc. Did we have anyone attend who lived out of the country?

How many people thought the high school looked better? worse? about the same? have no recollection of ever being in high school?

A breakfast and a tour. This is the Student Activities Building.

July 22, 2007: AT THE REUNION: The Reunion is over! Only 5 more years until the next one. The tour was interesting in that the changes to the school have been significant in some cases, and it looks exactly the same in other cases. More on that later. Drive safely...see everyone in 5 years.

There were over 200 people at the event. This is a small portion of the crowd.

July 22, 2007: AT THE REUNION: Under spectacular blue skies and temperatures in the mid-70's, the Class of 1962 rocked into the night. Well, actually, the skies were dark at night and the temperatures were more like in the 50's, but the class rocked on. With Rita Riley Nicholas' Herd of Elks providing the eats, Tom "The Prez" McCarthy providing the words, and Tim Rogers' Band of Superstars providing the tunes, it was one long memorable night. Do we have photos? Of course, we have photos! Can we show them? Maybe later.

Because this is Ithaca, Land of Perpetual Clouds, there was a huge tent set up at the Elks building just in case. As it turns out, the clouds drifted on by, and the day was incredible. It was just like we all remember despite what the weather records show for the early 60's.

A reunion photo showing everyone at the event will be forthcoming. It took about 20 minutes to gather everyone for the photo...it was like herding cats, but we accomplished the task, and took some photos. When the photos taken at the reunion are all gathered and sorted, they will be on this website.

How can you show over 200 people in one photo? You can't when they're spread over three major areas of the event. Here are a few milling about renewing old acquaintances.

July 21, 2007: AT THE REUNION: The 45th Reunion got off to a stunning start last evening at the Valentine Cafe. With over 200 in attendance, people were able to eat, drink, and talk their way to a wonderful time. After a day of ominous weather, the clouds parted just before the event providing a clear, but slight cool evening. By the end people were wearing parkas, but, after all, this is Ithaca, the City of Unpredictable Weather, and so people knew to bring appropriate apparel. With the Barrigar Brothers providing the tunes, John Novarr providing the eats, and Ken Blye providing the reunion poster, it was a terrific way to start the weekend. Today's event at the Elks up on South Hill promises to be equally spectacular. Stay tuned for photos and further updates.

July 17, 2007: The webmaster has left the building. He is off to Ithaca tomorrow and needs his 16 hours of beauty rest. Even that won't help much. You can still submit photos, information, stories, etc. However, there is no guarantee that they will be posted before the reunion. Hope to see you all in Ithaca in a couple of days. Don't forget to take your suntan lotion, umbrella, parka, and desert survival kit. Never know what to expect from the weather in Ithaca.

Do you have questions about reunion details? Send them to the Contact Us person if you want a clearly fictitious answer, or to Rita if you want a real answer.

July 15, 2007: We've done some calculations, and the floor at the High School can only support 125 lbs. per square foot. Because of the number of people attending the Sunday Breakfast and Tour, we're asking all of you to lose an average of 15 lbs. by next weekend or only stand on one foot at a time. Hope this isn't a problem.

The Ithaca portion of the Reunion Committee is working furiously to get everything ready for the big event. The rest of the Committee that lives out of state is sitting around watching Oprah and eating bon-bons. But it's the non-fat kind of bon-bons so that they will lose weight, too.

The dress code has been a major topic this week. What to wear? The consensus is: Whatever you want. If it stays hot, wear shorts. If it gets cooler wear slacks/capris. If it drops below freezing, we've got more problems than figuring out what to wear.

Nope. No exaggeration. Over 200 people will be there!

July 11, 2007: The number of people planning to attend the reunion has gone over 200 (125 class members, 80 guests). This is the most attendees at any reunion ever held. In the United States. In New York. In Ithaca. We think. At least it's the largest for the Class of 1962.

Which leads us to a key question. One class member asked: "Why wasn't I invited to the 1997 and 2002 reunions?" The obvious answer is: "Where were you? We tried to call you, but you never returned our calls." thus deflecting the question and placing the blame squarely on the victim, an American tradition.

But the Reunion Committee is much too diplomatic than to say that, so they said: "We didn't have a reunion those years." Which surprisingly was the truth, but is something the Committee is reluctant to admit because it admits blame which is not an American tradition unless you're in show business where it is required that you admit blame for everything. And then check yourself into rehab.

Anyway, this is our first reunion since 1992. There is one caveat...not everyone will be at every event. Most people have chosen to attend all three events, but some will only be to one or two of them. To see the people you want to see, you'll need to either attend all the events or contact those people and make arrangements to meet.

The Alumni Association ran out of yellow so they had to cut off the logo on the top and left edges. For a small donation, perhaps they will be able to afford an entire logo.

July 10, 2007: Ithaca High School alumni information is now being collected in a central location. Although the website you're looking at is for the Class of 1962, to find out about other classes, please go to www.ithacahighalumni.com. This is a recent development effort by the IHS Alumni Association with which our class fully cooperates. In addition to the Class of 1962 website, it gives you another way to contact class members. Visit the site to find out what is going on with IHS alumni, and stay tuned to the Class of 1962 site for details about our class. The Class of 1962 website will be available through the 50th reunion. The IHS Alumni Association website will be available until the end of time. If you don't believe this, just wait. You'll see.

Yes! Way!

July 6, 2007: There have been over 4,000 hits on the website. Do people keep signing on expecting new and exciting things? Well, it's as good as it's going to get. For now. There will be big news next week when the total number of attendees tops 200 and there is officially insufficient parking in Ithaca for everyone. We're considering bussing people in from Groton.

Note: Today is the last day to order Reunion merchandise and still have it delivered at the Reunion. After today, it will be sent to you after the Reunion. Of course, if you're not attending the Reunion, it will be sent to you no matter what. See the Marketplace section for further details.

Selling reunion merchandise on e-Bay is still legal in all 51 states.

July 2, 2007: Emergency Notice: We have been informed that Marketplace orders received by this Friday (July 6th) will be available for pickup at the Reunion. Orders received after that date will be shipped. The Marketplace supplier will be available throughout the Reunion to take orders. They will have samples for sizing and appearance. While the new Logo #4 is very popular, we have been assured that there is no chance that they will run out.

The new Logo #4 looks great on T-shirts and sweatshirts. Go to the Marketplace to see it.

June 30, 2007: There were many people this past week who realized that this could be the last reunion and decided to take a chance and attend. The count of those attending is now at: 188 (114 class members, 74 guests) and as advertised months ago...this is going to be the biggest fastastical reunion Ithaca High School has ever seen. The Class of 1961 had 85 attendees last year (as reported by reliable sources in the government...I know what you're thinking...don't go there).

Some photos have been added to the Photo Albums, Class Members Photos Album.

There are significantly more details in the Details of Events section. There's a map or two and more extensive descriptions about the events.

A few more people were added to the Classmate Info section. Order the list by sign-up date and look at the end for them.

There is another logo option (Logo #4) in the Marketplace section. A photo of it leads off this week's news. New Item lists and Order Forms can be found there. Originally, this section was going to be called the You Can't Buy Me Love section, but the name wouldn't fit. Too bad. It would have been a better name.

There are several new contacts in the You Send Me section. They are currently listed at the top of the list. It's a "last-one-in" section until we get around to alphabetizing it.

The RSVP section has been disabled because at this point, if you are attending, you need to fill out the Registration Form and send it in. RSVP's gave us an idea of how many people were planning on attending. The final total was 35. A detailed follow-up study shows that most people didn't RSVP. So, what else is new?

The Reunion Committee is locating more and more people. Many are hiding out in the desert. The Missing You section shows the status of your favorite friend from high school. Do you know where any of the people on the Missing or Incomplete lists are located? Help us find them!

The final page of the April Fool's edition of The Tattler is now available in the TWTYTW 1962 section. When you see Judy Bonney Slack at the reunion, thank her for her prescience in keeping this issue for 45 years.

The list of attendees continues to grow. Check the Come Together section for the latest update of the list.

It's been a busy week. The Reunion Committee is calling people who have not responded yet and offering them courses in ESL.

Fight boredom! Attend a reunion!

June 25, 2007: Over 100 class members have signed up to attend the reunion. In addition about 65 guests have decided to join us.

If you're having trouble finding a reservation at a motel, Rita has volunteered all her floor space to anyone in the class. Breakfast is included. Cost is free.

Did you believe that last paragraph? Nobody is that gullible! What's that? You are? If you have not returned your Registration Form, do so NOW! There will be one more notification sent to anyone with an e-mail address who hasn't responded yet, but getting your form in now is critical to the security of the country. Also, at some point we'll need to tell the caterers how much food to provide.

June 15, 2007: The past week has been one of odds and ends for the Reunion. People have asked for a list of those planning on attending, and so the Come Together section was created. Several additional people have been contacted who were in hiding, but have been stalked and found (see Missing You). More e-mail addresses have been provided (see You Send Me). Previously ordered merchandise has been sent out and received (see Marketplace to order). Another page of the April Fool's Edition of the Tattler has been added (see TWTYTW 1962). The final page will be posted on July 1st. And lots of behind the scenes activity is going on in Ithaca to make sure we're ready for the reunion.

Saw a member of the class this weekend. He had nice things to say.

June 10, 2007: Additions to the website ("Come Together"), additions to the number of attendees for the reunion, additions to the number of cartoons, what else could you want?

Come Together is the final section of the website and was added today. It's a list of all the people who are attending the reunion next month. This list will continue to grow as more registration forms are received. The webmaster will certainly run out of song titles for the section names any minute now.

The Reunion Committee is contacting people individually about their plans. Please don't hurt them. They mean no harm. But it seems that some people have "misplaced" their registration form. Some have filed it under Exotic Vacations in their file cabinet. Others have somehow lost it in their car. Still others sent it to their DMV thinking it was the renewal form for their license plates. You can always get another form by going to the news message for May 15th below and clicking on the links for Registration Letter Page 1 and Registration Letter Page 2. Then print them out and follow the directions.

June 2, 2007: It's June 2nd, and although summer doesn't officially start until later this month, the summer photo of Cayuga Lake is now gracing the top of each page. How can you tell it's Cayuga Lake? Because it has water and a shoreline that could be near Ithaca. Of course, the sandy beach kind of undermines the whole discussion. And speaking of Sandy Beach, whatever happened to her?

Will this be us?

There are lots of people signed up for the reunion. But there are also many who we cannot locate. Please go to the Missing You section. If you know the address or phone number of anyone on the Completely Missing list, let the Reunion Committee know. The Committee is using every search engine in the universe (or at least the solar system), but cannot find some of these class members. Here's a suggestion for everyone: Next time you have the chance to go back in time and attend Ithaca High School all over again, change your name from Tom Jones to Tom Laughsoutloud or from Mary Smith to Marylouthelmaliz Czaparackadoo. That way you'll be easier to find when the Internet is invented.

Ithaca: A Wreck?

May 25, 2007: Another long weekend coming up. It's just one thing after the other. Pressure to grill out. Pressure to buy stuff to grill out. Pressure to eat whatever it is you're grilling. But on the other hand, there have been over 3,000 hits on the website. That is a new record!

There is a new story called Ithaca: A Wreck that is only remotely related to the reunion. It's in the Stories section.

Well over 100 people are coming to the reunion.

The fourth page of the 1962 April Fool's edition of The Tattler is now in the TWTYTW 1962 section.

The author is looking for one of those sappy stories about how reunions are important because they help us remember our roots, reacquaint us with friends we've known longer than anyone except our parents and older siblings who we don't like anyway, etc. If you send the webmaster an article like that, he'll put it in the Stories section.

Have a nice holiday! If you're thinking of driving somewhere, just remember, with the high price of gas, it's less expensive to fly if your destination is over 250 miles away.

May 20, 2007: We are at exactly 2 months until the reunion. Over 100 people have already signed up. Unfortunately we planned the food wrong. People who sign up after today only get bread crusts and gruel for their meals. But it's good gruel! Get your registration forms in...keep Rita busy. She needs the work.

May 15, 2007: Let's say your dog ate your Registration Form. Or maybe you lost it in your car. Or perhaps a terrorist stole it out of your mailbox and is planning on selling it on eBay. Do not worry. You can get another one. Just e-mail Rita Riley Nicholas or Bob Garmise and they will send you a fresh new one. Of course, you could always press Registration Letter Page 1 and/or Registration Letter Page 2 and have it right on your screen to print. But that would be too easy.

May 6, 2007: Registration forms continue to arrive in bundles. Rita reports that we have over 600 people planning on attending and that every hotel/motel room within a 200 mile radius of Ithaca is filled. That still leaves some RV space at the state parks and people willing to share floor space with attendees. While this might be a slight exaggeration, you get the point. And speaking of "exaggeration", who can ever forget the 7th grade English teacher who insisted that it was spelled "exxageration"? Probably worked for Exxon in her spare time.

April 28, 2007: Everyone should have the Registration Packet by now. Please contact Rita Riley Nicholas if you don't have it (find her in the You Send Me section and e-mail her).

Page 3 of the April Fool's edition of The Tattler is in the TWTYTW 1962 section.

Google maps have been added to both the Details of Events section and the My Little Town section. Why? Because the webmaster finally figured out how to do them and he felt like playing around. You can do that when you're retired.

There are some new photos in the Photo Albums section...Class Member Photos. Keep 'em coming. But be sure to tell us who's in the photos.

Nametags are being produced at a record rate. Since the previous rate was zero, this isn't too difficult to do. The nametags will have your name, your guest's name, and your hometown as well as your flattering photo from the yearbook on them. Some things never change.

April 26, 2007: President Tom McCarthy speaks out! Read all about it! Return to the Hi Classmates! section and scroll down to the Breaking News area. Then click on the link. President McCarthy speaks eloquently about the reunion.

April 23, 2007: So every day you go to the mailbox and look for the Registration Letter. And so far, you've been disappointed. No mail. But guess what! It was sent out over the weekend and should be in your mail some time this week. If you don't receive it, either send Rita an e-mail (you can use the You Send Me section to do that) and ask her to send it to you, or press RegLetter1 for page 1 and RegLetter2 for page 2 and print them out. Then fill out page 2 and send it to Rita.

Do you want to be an Official Reunion Photographer? Do you even know what that is? Of course not! But now is not the time to discuss it. Suffice it to say if you have either a digital camera or a way to create digital photos from film, you are eligible to be an ORP.

April 19, 2007: The new and improved Marketplace Section is open for business. You can now place your order on-line. It will be transmitted directly to Kyle the Supplier who will send you a confirmation notice. While the order can be placed through the website, payment cannot be taken this way. The website has been in therapy for months, but is still not secure enough to handle money. Work directly with Kyle for the payment. He will take checks or charges.

April 15, 2007: The Registration Letters are almost ready to be sent. Rita and Darlene have been hard at work burning up their printers. The letters will include four items: the Registration Letter, the Registration Form, a Marketplace flyer, and a return envelope. Please fill out and return the Registration Form as soon as possible whether you are planning on attending or not.

There are close to 200 people in the Classmates Info section. This is directly because Rita entered the info everyone sent in on paper late last year. Some of it is not complete, but at least you'll know who's been found and a little about what they're doing.

We're in the process of creating a new Marketplace section to replace the current one. It's called Custom Form. Don't use it yet. We're still testing it. Our website sponsor requires that we test new items in real time. Not so nice sometimes, but we're trying to live with it.

The price for the Reunion is set. Start saving now!

April 10, 2007: The webmaster has a calendar hanging on the wall next to his pc. Unfortunately, he forgot to change the month to April and so this message is late.

If you've been watching this website, you know that there are a massive number of people being added to the Classmates Info section. Rita is hard at work entering the info from the questionnaires you originally sent in. If you see anything that needs to be changed, either edit it yourself, or use the Contact Us section to request a change.

The Registration Letter is being prepared as we speak. It's going to request that you register for the reunion and that you send in your registration fee. To set the price scientifically, the Reunion Committee has drawn a card from an old Monopoly game and everyone has to pay the Poor Tax. Luckily, they didn't draw the School Tax card. But wait! Inflation must be accounted for...so the price for the reunion has been set at $30 per person.

March 28, 2007: The Marketplace is open for business! This is the latest, and likely the final section to be added to the website. It displays a number of items that have been specially designed for the Class of 1962 Reunion. At the moment, there are two logos available, but a third one is scheduled to follow shortly.

The other BIG news is that the website hit counter hit 2,000 today. It's probably due to the availability of page two of the April Fool's edition of The Tattler. Or maybe not.

March 23, 2007: The seasons change and the website changes with them. The new theme is: spring. We leave winter behind (figuratively) and suddenly it's only four months until the reunion.

The April Fools section has been moved in with the TWTYTW 1962 section. Why? Because we need the space to bring you the reunion marketplace. Lots of items to buy with a reunion theme unavailable to other IHS classes...Pepper the Skunk is back!

March 18, 2007: The Reunion Committee has decided to enter Classmates Info for selected class members. For example, those who don't have a computer are having their info entered for them. The info comes from the initial mailing where you were asked to write your info and return it. At the time, we didn't have a website. After the computerless folks, we'll be entering info for anyone we have confirmed info for. Watch the Classmates Info section as it grows exponentially. This paragraph has won an award for having used the pseudo-word "info" more times than any other paragraph in the history of paragraph writing.

There is always the chance that additional people have been added to the You Send Me section. As more people register, they will be added. They're usually at the top of the list. You can use this section to send an e-mail the person. If the person you want to contact isn't on the list, either they don't have an e-mail address or we don't know about it yet.

And finally, there is a new article in the Stories section about Diane Bower Chiucchi. Check it out!

March 13, 2007: A new section called TWTYTW (This Was The Year That Was) has been added. It covers various topics that occurred starting during the summer of 1961 through graduation the following spring. It would have been named TWTYTW 1961-1962 but that is too large to be a section title. The webmaster has collected various really interesting junk and put it in this section. Do you have something you would like to see here? Use the Contact Us button to try to convince the webmaster to include it.

March 11, 2007: It's been about two weeks since the last report and stuff is still happening, but is it newsworthy? More people are entering their information on the website. The Committee is deciding whether to enter classmate info that was collected on paper forms returned earlier. Any opinions? Many class members don't own computers, so it may be the only way to find out what they're up to. Some people were confused about The Tattler April Fool's schedule. Page one was put on the website about March 1st. Page two is scheduled for around April 1st, which somehow seems appropriate. Stay tuned.

The webmaster and Judy Bonney Slack have been planning this for 15 years. While the webmaster appears clueless, someone else in this photo knows what's going on.

March 1, 2007: Two days ago another section was added to the website. It's called "The April Fools" and will show the April 2, 1962 issue of the Tattler in a serialized format. That is, each month, there will be another page shown. We thank Judy Bonney Slack for saving everything she ever owned and for donating a copy so that it can be displayed. People will be amazed that it is still funny after all these years. Why was the section named "The April Fools"? Because the webmaster is trying to maintain a musical theme for the section names and this is the best he could come up with. Do you have a better idea? Tell him and he'll make the change when he gets around to it. Maybe in time for the next reunion.

Hap's New Cycle Looks Like This

February 26, 2007: A whole new set of phone numbers was recently added to the Master List. Because of this, lots of people can expect calls in the near future. It gives new life to the Search Sub-committee that had been languishing for several weeks. Part of the problem was that Hap Gray bought a Harley and has been roaming the countryside, going house-to-house (like O.J.) looking for class members. This is proving to be an inefficient way of going about the search. So far he hasn't found any class members, but he has gotten shot at a couple of times. Of course, since he lives in Cleveland, this isn't a newsworthy experience.

Missing You

February 18, 2007: It's a miracle! There's a new section on the website. It's called Missing You and it has class members distributed into several categories. The Reunion Committee is trying to find people, but needs help! They're also trying to find a way to fill in bits and pieces of missing information such as home address, e-mail address, and phone numbers. Check it out. If you see your name in a list other than The Complete Information List, send the Reunion Committee the info that's missing. Do you remember info about somebody else? Let the committee know. And then tell them who sang the eight songs shown in red. There's a free one on the right.

Darlene Lynch Klein's Dog Scores Again

February 15, 2007: The big news today is out of NYC where our very own Darlene Lynch Klein's dog has scored in the Westminister Dog Show. No, it's not what you think so get your mind out of the gutter. To see the results, go to www.westminsterkennelclub.org and click on Breed Results, then Hound (left side), then Greyhounds. Look for the Award of Merit (#8).

February 14, 2007: Happy Valentine's Day! Note that Valentine's Day is always in red.

The first Broadcast E-mail from Rita was sent out two weeks ago. We thank the 78 people who responded, but wonder why 88 of you didn't respond. Did it go into your spam folder and you just deleted it without reading it? Also, we know that 26 of you never received the e-mail because your address was not valid in our database. Another also, if you don't have e-mail, you probably didn't respond and you probably aren't reading this message.

So, if you didn't receive the e-mail from Rita (gnichol1@twcny.rr.com) it's time to take the initiative and send her a note saying: "Here is my real e-mail address." and then tell her whether you're planning on attending the reunion and whether you'll be bringing anyone with you. At the moment, it looks like we'll have over 200 people there.

The official 45th Reunion Registration Form will be sent shortly. If you have registered in the Classmate Info section of this website, you're guaranteed to receive it at the address you specified. If you entered a fake address, you are requested to move there so the form will reach you in a timely fashion.

February 10, 2007: The webmaster is back on the job. The photo below was the Hotel Frotenac in Quebec City where he went to freeze to death. To make things even worse, he went to the Ice Hotel just to have cocktails in a glass made of ice. Growing up in Ithaca will prepare you for really cold weather.

This is where the webmaster will be staying next week. Where is it?

February 3, 2007: The webmaster will be out of town from today, Feb 3rd, through Thursday, Feb 8th. He will be back on the job Friday, Feb 9th. During that time, if you submit your Classmates Info or RSVP, it will be retained in the system, but not displayed on the website. Otherwise, the website will run as usual. For example, you will still be able to send messages through the You Send Me section and check the website counter every few seconds.

February 2, 2007: The first Broadcast E-mail was sent out today. Everyone with a confirmed e-mail address should receive a message from Rita Riley Nicholas. If you don't receive this e-mail, send an e-mail to Rita (gnichol1@twcny.rr.com) and tell her that you didn't get her message and you want it right now. By the time you read this, you should have received the message.

January 31, 2007: A new photo album has been added. It is a tribute to classmates who have passed away. The Reunion Committee is beginning to fill in the dates individuals died, but there are many to find. If anyone knows the date, use the Contact Us section to let us know. In addition to this photo album, there will be a tribute at the reunion.

A new style, but the same old stuff.

January 29, 2007: The webmaster has decided to give everyone something different today. He put in a new style. It's essentially the same stuff with a little variety to keep things interesting. If you want the old style back, use the Contact Us section to let him know. He promises to ignore your request.

January 25, 2007: A new section called You Send Me has just been added to the website. It allows you to contact any person in the class with a confirmed e-mail address. Just find the name of the person you want to contact and press Send This Person a Message. An e-mail screen will open up. Enter your name, e-mail address, message, and security code. Then press Enter and off it goes. The person receiving the message will be able to respond.

Some of the section labels have been changed. For example, the former Ithaca Info has been changed to My Little Town, and Reunion News has been changed to The Tattler. The webmaster is on a renaming kick. He'll get over it in a few days.

January 24, 2007: Today, the hit count for the website went over 1,000. While it's likely that 980 of the hits were directly attributable to the Reunion Committee checking out their own photo, it still is impressive.

Mr. Leroy Motif

January 21, 2007: The Reunion Committee continues to find people. Some have been hiding out in the deserts of the southwest while others are hugging trees in Maine. The Class of 1962 may have spread throughout the world, but the crack team of Reunion People Finders will eventually track them down. Just this past week the team found the Student Council President in the deep woods of Maryland.

The Guest Book has been renamed "Messages" and has a new way of collecting various snippits of information. Check that section for more information. Also, there is a new "You Send Me" section. So far it doesn't do anything, but just wait. You never know.

And finally, the photos from the 1987 reunion album have been moved to the 1982 reunion album since they were misplaced months ago and finally somebody noticed. Other photos from the 1987 reunion have been put in the 1987 album. If anyone has photos to share from previous reunions (digital only), send them by e-mail to the Contact Us person and he will misplace them for you.

2007 Comes to Ithaca College

January 11, 2007: Well, it's a new year, and the Reunion Committee plods on, searching for class members in all four corners of the world. Learning absolutely nothing from Columbus' journey, the corners have finally been identified and catalogued. However, Homeland Security prevents us from divulging their whereabouts. Don't forget to go to the RSVP section after you've entered your Classmate Info. Also, send us a current photo if you have one.

December 29, 2006: End-of-the-Year Report

The year is rapidly coming to an end and we still have a number of people to find. When the Missing List begins to stabilize, we’ll put it on the website and ask everyone to help find people. Until that time, take the rest of the week off.

The Sunday Morning Breakfast Club event will be at the high school. Wait! Not at the high school. Wait, again! It will be at the high school, but in the Activities Building not in the cafeteria. Hold on! It will be in the cafeteria. But, no! It will be in the Activities Building. And it will be catered with a school tour to follow. Suddenly we’re back at the high school and in a primo location. Maybe it’s because we told key people that we were the Class of 1962 and we had the technology to drain the lake and put in a parking lot.

Negotiations continue with the Reunion Store to provide merchandise with Pepper the Skunk on it. We had a breakthrough yesterday when Reunion Store personnel began to realize that we were so old that a bear mascot meant nothing to us. Bears weren't even invented yet when we were in school. For the moment, the Store is closed for end-of-the-year inventory. It will re-open when Pepper arrives.

Happy New Year to all from your Reunion Committee!

December 19, 2006: The rate at the Ramada Inn and Clarion Inn is $119.95/night. The rate at the Holiday Inn is $126.99 ($139.99 for the Tower Building). There are only a limited number of rooms available at each location, and we're expecting a large number of out-of-town class members coming to the reunion.

Who is this guy anyway?

December 16, 2006: There are 30th Reunion photos in the Photo Albums section that need captions. Who are these people anyhow? Use whatever means available to provide us with the names of the people. Appropriate comments are optional.

Pepper the Skunk

December 15, 2006: The Reunion Store is up and running. It is an option on the menu list. We're negotiating with the store to carry merchandise that features Pepper the Skunk, the mascot when we were in the high school. Stay tuned for how the negotiations are going.

There is some difficulty arranging the Sunday Breakfast. It seems that the school had a prior commitment they forgot about. There will be a breakfast, but probably not at the school. Watch this spot for breaking news. OK, you can stop watching now.

Class Member Link

December 12, 2006: If you want to contact a classmate, but you don't have their e-mail address or phone number, press the "Send this Person a Message" entry at the bottom of the person's info and send them a note that includes your e-mail address. Then they can then send you a reply with their e-mail address, and you're off and running. The Reunion Committee is collecting e-mail and phone info, but not displaying it.

December 9, 2006: E-mail notes started going out to all class members who have e-mail addresses in the database. It discusses filling out the Classmate Info and RSVP sections of this website, and emphasizes the need to make lodging reservations. To see the hotels that have set aside rooms, go to the Ithaca Info section.

December 5, 2006: There will be a Sunday morning catered breakfast starting no earlier than 9:00 a.m. This allows for recovery time after having stayed up until almost 11 p.m. the previous night. The event will be held at Ithaca High School and will include breakfast and a tour of the school. For those who said 45 years ago "There's no way I'll ever step into that school again!", you are welcome to join us for breakfast and then get a hall pass to leave. The event should be over by early afternoon. Details on the specific event times will be announced at a later date.

November 24, 2006: Responses to the Reunion 45 letter started to arrive today. The Master List is slowly being filled in. If you find this site, and did not receive a letter, you are either dead or at a different address. Please use the Contact Us option to let us know your vital statistics (name, address, e-mail, and phone).

November 20, 2006: The first Reunion 45 letter went out to all class members today. Many of the addresses being used are over two years old, and so it is expected that many undeliverable letters will be returned. The Search Committee (Darlene Lynch Klein, Hap Gray, and Bob Garmise) will continue to search the universe for class members. So far, all have been found on Earth, but the other eight planets have not been overlooked.