CLASS OF '69 - 40th REUNION
E-MAIL ARCHIVES

Below you'll find all the e-mail announcements
that were sent to the entire e-mailing list, in case you missed anything.
They're in chronological order with the most recent - #9 - at the bottom.

11/4/2008 (#1)
I sent a note to Dave O'Brien and haven't (as of yet) gotten a reply. I'm basically wondering if we're going to do a 40th reunion. Personally, I'm hoping we will. From a selfish standpoint, though, I'd sure like to know when because I'm planning out my 2009 travel sked and I'm already getting fairly booked up with a trip to Bonaire in May and Shanghai in July (for a total eclipse - not diving for once in my life). So the questions are:
 
1. Are we doing a 40th?
2. If so, when?
3. Where? (I'm not too nuts about the Rehoboth venue idea.)
4. Who's in charge?
 
I'm actually in Dover now (and will be in and out over the next few months) because my mom died last month. So we're having a memorial at the Century Club November 1 and I've been going back and forth (as has my sister) to spend time with my dad. So I can maybe help out a little bit from this end. (And Jane, you might be interested to know that we're using 33 West - where we had our mini-reunion - as the caterer for the reception following the memorial.)
 
Anyhow, I just figured if we're going to do something, we'd better get started because otherwise, the year will simply slip away. Thoughts???
 
- Ken
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 11/19/2008 (#2)
I'm figuring we'll have this discussion as a group next (I heard from 25 of 68 people within the first 24 hours - 24 YEA and 1 NAY). But some quick thoughts.
 
1. Dave & I have e-mailed about this last night. His dates aren't firm yet and won't be until after January 1. I don't think that's a huge deal.
2. In the past, we've done the Reunion Dinner on a Saturday night. Again, not set in stone.
3. If we're to do this the same weekend as Dave's thing, I think it's important not to force people to choose between one or the other.
4. Dave's general sked is as follows: "Friday I leave open to individuals to rent a house and throw their own little parties...Saturday we meet all day starting at 10am on the boardwalk near the bandstand and then that night will be the free concert at the bandstand...Sunday I'll have another concert at a local sports bar in Rehoboth to be named later."
5. So basically that leaves us Friday night as pretty much the only non-conflicting time frame.
6. For those of us traveling from afar (and I realize that I'm in the vast minority here) that's a bit of an issue and means we have to now come in on Thursday.
7. It also means that instead of a DHS69 Reunion Weekend (with multiple activities fort those interested), we're pretty much going to limit ourselves to a Friday night dinner so the rest of the weekend is already set for communal activities with all classes from all years.
8. Not sure how a Friday night dinner impacts those who live in the general area and will work on Friday and then need to get down to Rehoboth in time for the dinner, plus likely need a room at least for the one evening if not for the weekend.
9. Not sure how doing this in Rehoboth would impact any faculty still around (like Mrs. Levitt) from attending.
10. Not sure what room availability will be. I just checked on Travelocity and looks like most of them are going for around $200/night. Given that it's after Memorial Day Weekend, there's likely a 2- or 3-night minimum stay.
 
Personally, having nothing to do with Dave's thing, I'm not too enthusiastic about the Rehoboth option. We went to Dover HS, not Rehoboth HS. On top of that, if we book a Friday dinner event in Rehoboth, we're just some other group coming in for the weekend like the Shriner's or the Rotary Club. In Dover, we're something special.
 
From my standpoint, I'd rather have a full weekend to celebrate US, rather than sharing it with other classes and schools. In Dover, we have the option of not only doing the dinner (probably Saturday) but maybe also doing a softball game (Zack & Peggy can probably arrange a field for us), maybe doing a walk or run, a small golf tourney, and whatever. But once we're out of Dover, we may lose some of those options as well as not have the same connections to get some favors done for us.
 
Anyhow, just some thoughts. Let's not lose sight of the fact that right now only 35% of the people who this was sent to have said "Yes". Once we settle on a specific date, that number will likely go down as some people will have conflicts. And on some level if what we're looking at is 24 people out of a class of 316, then this whole project might not be worth all the effort it takes to organize something like this and make it memorable and it may just make more sense to say "See you in Rehoboth for Dave's thing". Out here in L.A., I'm chairman of an annual scuba fund-raising event that involves a day of diving and dinner for 1000 (not a typo)  people. So I know how much work these things can be, especially if you want to do it "right". And that kind of effort simply is too much to do is we're going to have a low turnout.
 
Anyhow, let's see what other votes come in. And as long as we've started this dialogue, please feel free to chime in with whatever your respective thoughts are. The idea is that this is some sort of a collaborative effort, not just something that's being determined by me or Dave or whomever. Participatory democracy at it's best. I've also gone ahead and changed the subject header so we can separate these comments from the YEA/NAY votes.
 
So . .  what do you all think???????

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 11/28/2008 (#3)
 OK gang, here's where we are . . .

 
Amazingly, we got one more e-mail address to add to our list so we've actually got 69 people on the list initially. (How coincidental is that???) Out of the 69, we received 29 replies which were 27 YES and 2 NO (both of those being West-Coast based and they simply can't make it back to Dover). So it looks like there's certainly some level of interest in doing this.
 
So today we moved on to Step Two and actually had an informal meeting in Dover about how best to proceed. In attendance were myself (Ken Ollweiler), Jane Hutchinson, Peggy O'Brien, Diane Short, and Linda Cusack (Quie). Here's what we've come up with:
 
1. The consensus amongst ourselves as well as replies we've gotten from you collectively is NOT to do this the same weekend that Dave O'Brien's bash happens in Rehoboth. The consensus as seems to be to do this in Dover.
 
2. For the 20th reunion in 1998, the dinner was on Saturday evening, their was an informal party/gathering Friday night, and some people got together again on Sunday. We'll follow that same general idea with the "official" event/dinner being Saturday night, some sort of a party/gathering Friday night at someone's home, some little events (like a walk or a visit to the school) on Saturday, and some similar things on Sunday (maybe a softball game with a picnic). the thought is to make a weekend of it, have plenty of things for people to do  and - if you're working Saturday night or if your budget won't permit your attendance - there will be other opportunities as well.
 
3. For a variety of reasons, we're looking at the weekend of August 8. This puts it two months after Dave's bash (in June), is shortly before school starts for those who are teachers, doesn't conflict with the big Dover Downs race in September, and doesn't conflict with Homecomings (Wesley College and Delaware State) in October.
 
4. For those who have to come in from out of town and have no one to stay with, as well as for those who intend to party hearty and shouldn't be driving, we'll hope to set up a hotel deal at or near where the dinner is.
 
5. We have no idea of cost at this point. My best guess is at least $50 per person. (I run an annual scuba charity event dinner in L.A. and our person cost is usually around $55/each and we get the venue at no charge. I would assume Dover catering costs will be slightly less but we'll probably have to pay for the room.)
 
6. Since we're only high schoolers, we'll obviously need some adult supervision and guidance and will enlist Mrs. Levitt and Mr. Shomo as our faculty advisors. Also, they're still in touch with some of the other teachers and former students and will be a good resource.
 
7. Once we get pricing down and we start asking for money, you'll be able to do this by check or credit card. If credit card, it'll run through my business in L.A. (Reef Seekers Dive Co.) but the point is that plastic will now be an option which I don't think was the case in 1998.
 
8. We produced a "yearbook" of the 1998 reunion which we thought was a nice touch and would look to do that again. That's probably something we'd need to get done on a pre-sale basis. We'll keep you posted assuming we continue to move forward.
 
9. Given that technology had advanced tremendously in the last 20 years, we're going to do a lot of this via e-mail and through a website. Keeps the costs down and make communication a lot easier. I've also gone ahead and set up an e-mail address (dhs69reunion@aol.com) as well as registered a website domain name (www.dhs69reunion.com). The e-mail's active now. The website will be functioning shortly.
 
10. Be aware that the Class of 69 from Delano High School (DHS) in Delano, Minnesota, has already scarfed up www.dhs69.com. If you go there, that's not us.
 
11. Jane, Peggy, and Diane (who all live locally) are going to check into available venues and rates. Quie's going to check with a friend of her who does a lot of catering in the area. We're going to meet again in December to see how we've progressed.
 
12. I'm flying back to L.A. on Saturday and will begin compiling a complete list of all of our names (Dave O'Brien's got a list with 216 names on it and he sent me another update today.) So one of the next things you'll get form me is a list of names of people for whom we have no contact info. #1 preference is e-mail, followed by phone number, and address. I'm going to ask you to help me fill in the holes.

With all of that in mind, I now need to ask you two more questions. Please reply at your earliest convenience. The questions are:
 
#1 - Do you think you'll be able to or would like to try to attend the Reunion Weekend centered around a dinner on August 8? If so, would there be 1, 2 or more in your party?
 
#2 - Would you want a hotel room and if so, how many nights?
 
I hope we can pull this off. My recollection (though I realize memories change/improve over time) is that we had a blast 20 years ago and it was really nice to reconnect with people who were important to us in our formative years. Hopefully we can repeat the success of the 20th with the 40th.
 
- Ken (on behalf of Jane, Peggy, Diane, Quie, & all the other 69ers who've participated in the initial discussions)

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12/8/2008 (#4)
Hello again fellow 69ers,
 
We continue to move forward. Now we enter the big Step 2, which is trying to track down our fellow classmates so we can let them know what's going on. Right now, out of a class of 335, we've got e-mails address for 78 people. Not bad, but we've got a big job ahead of us. So if you've got any contact info, I'd appreciate hearing about it. First choice is e-mail, second is phone number, third is physical address. (E-mail's certainly the easiest, cheapest, and most efficient.)
 
Down at the bottom of this e-mail there's a list of who we've got info on, and who we're missing. If you've got any info, please send it back to me. if you would, please hit "REPLY ALL" so that it goes to me at this address AND at the dhs69reunion@aol.com one as well. (I can't mass-email from that account. I'm happy to give you the story if you're interested.)
 
Here are the other developments since we last chatted:
 
1. I had a nice talk with Mrs. Levitt Friday night and she's enthusiastically signed on as one of our faculty advisors. (Jane Hutchinson will be contacting Mr. Shomo as well.)
 
2. I've created a website (www.dhs69reunion.com) that's up and running. It's only a home page right now but I would anticipate expanding it and hopefully adding a "Then & Now" section where everyone will have a page with their 69 senior photo and the opportunity to send us a "now" photo along with some text on what they've been doing for the last 40 years. Plus we could add whatever we see fit (1969 Top 10 lists, archive these e-mails, etc.). We've got plenty of space on the server.
 
3. 19 people have already indicated they'd most likely attend on August 8. (It's actually 33 people with spouses & SOs.) So that's off to a good start. of course, we'll see what happens when we actually need money . . .
 
4. Jane's looking into venues as I think I mentioned earlier. One thought was the Sheraton since we can probably also make a hotel room deal with them. But if you've got any suggestions (we've already rejected the ideas of Dover Downs & the Duncan Center) this is the time to let us know and we'll check them out (or simply provide Jane with the info is you've got rates and availability info).
 
5. The organizing committee's a pretty informal affair and we've happy and eager to accept whatever help can be offered. I'll be back in Dover during Christmas week and we'll likely have another meeting on Saturday, December 27, most likely at my dad's place in Woodbrook. I'll send out another note but feel free to join us if you're in town (almost like a pre-reunion reunion).
 
6. Not to be too morbid about this, but if you know of anyone who's no longer with us, we'd like to know that too. These are the names of deceased classmates that we have so far: Elaine Knotts, Kathy Hamilton, Oleta Brown.
 
So that's it for now (like that's not enough). Hopefully everyone's going to have a great holiday. The initial enthusiasm for this event has been very positive and I'm looking forward to a really great reunion on August 8. Thanks again for whatever help you can provide.
 
- Ken
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12/17/2008 (#5)
Hello again everyone (and welcome to a couple of newcomers),
 
Things keep moving ahead. Mr. Shomo has agreed to be our second faculty advisor (along with Mrs. Levitt). I haven't really done anything new with the website (www.dhs69reunion.com) but what I'd like to be the next step will be to create a "Then & Now" page for anyone interested where you can send me a picture of you now, along with a blurb about what you've been doing for the last 40 years. We'll be each person up on a page where we can remind ourselves of what we looked like then, see what we are now, and read about what's been going on. Even for people who can't make it to the reunion, it'll be a nice way to reconnect.
 
I'd also like to have another planning meeting right after Christmas since I'll be in Dover then. Anyone who wants to pitch in, or if you just want to come by and say hello and reconnect with some of your classmates, come on over. The meeting will be Saturday, December 27, at 2PM, at my dad's place in Woodbrook, 606 Wyoming Avenue (corner of Shank Road, yellow house). Hopefully at this meeting we can get a better handle on venue options and maybe discuss any other non-Saturday-dinner things we'd like to schedule.
 
And, for those interested, I'll have my camera with me so if you need a "Now" picture taken, I'm happy to do so.
 
I will send out another reminder of this meeting on 12/26. In the meantime, I hope you have a great holiday and I'll hope to see some of you in Dover. I'll be in town from 12/23 to 12/28 and if you need to get hold of me use my e-mail, my cell (310/995-3639), or my dad's place (302/678-2166.)
 
- Ken
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 12/22/2008 (#6)
I've got the bandwidth and you've got the story.
 
I know that not everyone will be able to attend the reunion in August. However, through the magic of the Internet, we CAN reconnect with each other and bring our fellow classmates up-to-date on what we've been doing for the last 40 years.
 
On our reunion website (www.dhs69reunion.com), I've created a section called "Then & Now." I've got room to set aside a webpage for each member in the class who wants to do this. As you'll see, the top of each page features your yearbook picture ("Then") side-by-side with a current picture ("Now"). Underneath that is plenty of space for you to write a blurb about what's been going on in your life. You can make it as long or short as you like, include URLs/links to other websites, and pretty much have free rein.
 
For me to post your own "Then & Now" page, I simply need you to do two things: (1) Send me a current picture (I've already got all the yearbook ones) and  (2) Write a blurb/e-mail on what you've been doing for the last 40 years.
 
I've got two of them posted already which you can take a peek at. Here's what Ed Albertson & I have done for ours:
 
http://www.dhs69reunion.com/Then%20&%20Now%20webpages/Then%20&%20Now%20(Ed%20Albertson).htm
 
http://www.dhs69reunion.com/Then%20&%20Now%20webpages/Then%20&%20Now%20(Ken%20Ollweiler).htm
 
All you need to do is send me a picture and the text. I'll take it from there.
 
And if any of you are saying, "I don't really have a current picture of me that I like," no problem. Here's your limited-time holiday offer: I'll be in Dover tomorrow (Tuesday) through Sunday mid-afternoon and I'll have my handy-dandy digital Nikon D200 with me. If you want to arrange a time to swing by to say hello (606 Wyoming Avenue in Woodbrook), I'll be more happy to get some quick shots of you for the website. Just give me a call on my cell (below) or at my dad's (302/678-2166).
 
Also a reminder for those interested that we're going to have that second planning meeting at my dad's place this coming Saturday (12/27) at 2PM.
 
I hope everyone has a happy holiday and we'll all run into reach other soon.
 
- Ken
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 12/24/2008 (#7)
1. For those of you who we've added late, I've now got all the e-mails that were sent out to the group listed in chronological order on the website. If you need to get caught up in the dialogue, click here: http://www.dhs69reunion.com/E-mail%20archives%20(anouncements%20sent).htm .

2. For those interested, we'll have our second planning meeting this Saturday, 12/27, at 2PM at 606 Wyoming Avenue (corner of Shank) in Woodbrook. C'mon over if you're interested in noodling around some ideas, pitching in, or just want to visit. (Give me a heads up if you can so I'll have a rough idea of who's coming but feel free to come by even if you haven't e-mailed me back.)

3. It's raining in Dover now, so it looks like it'll be a wet, not white, Christmas.

4. Screw political correctness: Merry Christmas.

- Ken
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1/19/2009 (#8)
Jane Hutchinson's met with a number of venues and the Sheraton looks to be the most interested in working with us, as well as the most flexible since we have no idea of how many people to expect. It seems that at the 20th, we had 87 classmates and assorted spouses and dates. I'm guessing the overall number was around 125 or so. (We had that at the Elks Club on Division Street, which no longer exists.)

But Jane had a great talk with the event person at Sheraton. Their menu prices seem reasonable (our goal is to try to get this thing coming in certainly under $100/person and hopefully around $75 or so) and they can be pretty accommodating on group size since they've got multiple rooms and even each room can expand or contract a bit. Plus they can probably set up a room deal for anyone coming in from out of town or just for anyone who would rather just party and not worry about driving home that evening. (I've asked Jane to check into whether there's a Saturday-night-plus-Sunday-brunch deal we could set up.)

If you haven't visited the website lately (www.dhs69reunion.com - and hopefully I've fixed the link on my bottom page signature so it takes you there instead of to my dive shop website) you might want to visit. I've added:

           • An audio welcome (yes, my voice - I've got good audio stuff so I might as well use it)
           • More "Then & Now" pages
           • Pictures from the 2003 impromptu 34th reunion (organized by Jane & Ed Albertson)

If you haven't done a "Then & Now" page, I strongly encourage you to do so. (I was talking with Harry Kreigh today and implored him to do his lest I be tempted to simply make something up for him . . .) Just send me (1) a current or recent picture of yourself, and (2) a blurb/text about what you've been up to, as long or short as you want.

I've gotten a number of e-mails from people who says it's been fun reading through the ones we've already gotten posted. And even if you're not going to be able to come to the reunion, it's a fun way to reconnect with people from high school. (Plus we won't constantly spam you like Classmates.com does!!!) if you don't have a digital pix of yourself you can mail me a print. I can convert it no problem.

The other thing we're trying to do is still track down contact info (preferably e-mail) for classmates. We've got 105 (out of 300+) right now but can obviously use more. So if you've got them, send them on to me.

We hope to finalize venue and lock down pricing shortly and then we'll get down to the nitty-gritty. One option we'll have this year that we didn't have 20 years ago is the ability to pay for this with a credit card (I'll run the charge through my scuba diving business). We're hoping to make this a three-day affair starting Friday night with a gathering at Colette Carney's, stuff during the day Saturday, dinner Saturday night, and some Sunday activities. So you can do as much or as little as you like.

But we'll keep you posted and are always happy to hear any ideas anyone wants to throw around.

- Ken
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2/15/2009 (#9)
Hello again fellow 69ers,

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day and maybe even will get tomorrow (President's Day) off. I thought I'd bring you up to speed on reunion stuff.

1. We're confirmed for the Sheraton Hotel in Dover on August 8 (although I'm still waiting for the paperwork). We're going to be in the Champagne & Chardonnay Rooms (half of their overall Champagne Ballroom). I'm guessing that with those of you who will come and accompanying spouses/Significant-Others/dates that we're looking at somewhere around 125 people (although those two rooms can hold upwards of 250 people). The thought right now is that it will be a plated (instead of buffet) sit-down dinner. Looks like we'll have two cash bars set up inside the room. We'll probably use the first hour to mingle and have hors devours passed around, then sit for dinner, and will figure out some sort of a program and after-dinner dancing/music/whatever. I haven't tackled pricing yet but it looks like we should make it at our previously-announced target rate.

2. They can't/won't give us a special room rate so anyone who wants to stay over will need to book that on their own. Their rack rate looks to be around $150-175 but there may also be deals to be had so it'll probably pay to check with them and shop a bit. Sometimes you can get a better rate calling the hotel directly than you might over the Internet. But even if you're local or semi-local, you might want to give some thought to at least a Saturday-night stay if you plan to party-hearty.

3. Although we've got 21 "Then & Now" pages up, there are still a number of you that we're missing. All it takes is a current photo (sent to me here or at dhs69reunion@aol.com) and a little blurb about what you've been up to since high school. The feedback from people who've been visiting the pages is that it's been really interesting to see what's been happening with everyone in the last 40 years.

4. We've got e-mail addresses on over 100 of you but that means we've still got about 200 "missing in action". I'll send out an updated list late in the week but if there's anyone you know of from the class who's not yet on our e-mailing list, please forward their info to me so we can include them in the festivities.

5. Recent "finds" include: Ann MacMillan, Donna Grimm, Donnie MacMillan, Dorothea Thornton, George Thornton, Joan Carey, John Cartanza, Mark Bason, Miranda Rigby, Monty Garrett, Nancy Faust, Phil Chabot, Phil Petrucci, Sandra Warren, Gary Lewis, Leroy Singleton, Raymond Gingerich, Sandy Edwards, and William Dempsey.

I think that's it from me for now. As always, thoughts/comments/input welcome.

See you in August!!!
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 3/6/2009 (#10)
Greetings fellows 69ers,

For those of you who don't live in Dover anymore, it seems that our beloved hometown got hit by a mighty snowfall earlier in the week. And for those of you still in Dover, hopefully you've dug out by now.

To bring you up to speed, I've completed the paperwork for the Sheraton Hotel so we're confirmed for August 8. I hope to finalize menu choices and give you pricing in the next few weeks and then I'll start saying "Show me the money!!!!"  As I think I mentioned before, the plan is for a sit-down (as opposed to buffet) plated/served dinner with some informal mingling and hors devours beforehand. I'm guessing the rough time frame is 7-11 PM. Plus, there will be a cash bar (or bars).

I've mentioned a couple of times the people we don't yet have, but don't know if I've ever done who we do have contact info on. So here's that list (alphabetical by first name):
 
Amy Reed
Andy Polasko
Ann MacMillan
Anna Lusk
Anthony Bryan
Barbara Corkran
Barbara Shepard
Barry Cullen
Bill Morris
Brenda Carter
Carol Henshaw
Carolee Koppenhaver
Chaddy Cooper
Charlene Bishop
Chris Spong
Colette Carney
Craig Massey
Dave Bulkley
Dave Reed
David O'Brien
Debbie Short
Debbie Webb
Diane Short
Diane Traynor
Dick Ruff
Donna Grimm
Donnie MacMillan
Dorothea Thornton
Doug Werner
Ed Albertson
Fred Willey
Gary Lewis
Gayle Emery
George Thornton
Glenn Howard
Gwen Ferguson
Harry Kreigh
Henry Mishoe
Howard Davies
Jane Hutchinson
Janice Morris
Janny Gears
Jay Calhoun
Jean Tribbitt
Jeff Hastings
Jeff Zurkow
Jessica Moffitt
Jill Miller
Jim Devine
Joan Carey
Joe Accetta
John Cartanza
John Pallam
John Williams
Jon McDowell
June Clendaniel
Karen Wagner
Kathy Booher
Kathy Mayer
Ken Ollweiler
Kerry Forbord
Kisha Reid
Leroy Singleton
Lew Silver
Linda Kucek
Linda Liberto
Marcie Mersky
Margie MacLeod
Mark Bason
Mark Whitley
May Louie
Miranda Rigby
Monty Garrett
Muriel Durham
Nancilee Joines
Nancy Faust
Nancy Labonte Clendaniel
Ned Coverdale
Neda Biggs
Nick Suchko
Nina Sedule
Pat Cordray
Paul Vogl
Peggy O'Brien
Phil Chabot
Phil Petrucci
Randy Largent
Raymond Gingerich
Rick Watts
Ronn Kilby
Ruth Goza
Sandi Starcher
Sandra Warren
Sandy Edwards
Sharon Chambers
Shiela Pardee
Steve Haines
Steve Murabito
Steve Price
Sue Cohen
Sue Frey
Susanne Clara Hurley 
Terry Graves
Terry Walker
Tom Moore
Tom Thibodeau
William Dempsey
Willie Wich
Zach Carter
(FACULTY) Gerry Foote
(FACULTY) Jim Oxford
(FACULTY) Phyllis Levitt
(FACULTY) Warren Emery

And here's a list of classmates no longer with us:

Cathryn Lewis
Cynthia Sipple
David Courtney
Donna Smith
Elaine Knotts
Gloria Lawrence
Howard Tuxward
Jim Reichelt
Kathy Hamilton
Nancy Baynard
Noble Eckeard
Oleta Brown
Sandra Castell
Steve Shoupe

And that's about it for now from my end. I'll send out another "Missing in Action" list in a few days because the more people we can contact, the better the reunion will be.

See you in August!!!
 
- Ken
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4/11/2009 (#11)
Hi gang,
 
Well, I've left you alone for a month so I figured it's time to surface again and bring you up to speed. Because now we're almost ready to shift this in to high gear.
 
We are set on the date: Saturday, August 8. (There will also things to do throughout the entire August 7-9 weekend.)
We are set on the place: Dover Sheraton, Champagne/Chardonnay Ballrooms, 7-11PM.
 
We are now set on a price for everything: $69/person. (How's THAT for thematic???) That will cover you for dinner at the Sheraton (your choice of Chicken Cordon Blue, prime Rib of Beef, or Scrimp & Scallops Scampi), covers us for the room rental, cash bar (there's a set-up fee we have to pay), pre-dinner strolling crudite (a fancy way of saying waiters serving you off of Hors D'oeuvres platters), and all the fun and reminiscing you can handle.
 
There will also be a chance to visit the high school Friday late afternoon, an informal party Friday evening (looks like it'll be at Colette Carney's place), something (not sure yet) during the day on Saturday, the dinner Saturday night, and some informal things on Sunday. Feel free to do as many as you like. The only one we'll need to et paid for is the dinner so if budgeting is a concern, there are non-paying options. But hopefully we'll be able to pack the place Saturday night.
 
I'll get you more info shortly. You can pay by check or credit card and I'll end up sending you an actual ticket for the evening. But we'll hash out those details down the road.
 
BTW, on a personal note, if you live in an area that gets Cox Cable and Internet, keep an eye out for a 30-second commercial for Cox with a guy in a print shop that's extolling the virtues of their high-speed connection. That's me pretending to be the printer guy. Shot the commercial last month in Minneapolis.
 
And that's where we are now. We're still looking for classmates and there are still a number of you from whom I'd love to get a "Then & Now" picture and story. Onward and upward and we'll hope to see many of you in August.
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 5/15/2009 (#12)
Well, this one will be really short.
 
We're still moving ahead full steam towards our August 8, 2009, 40th Class reunion. There's also updated info now appearing in the Dover Post. (Are there any other publications or media we should be sending the reunion announcement to???)
 
I'm heading off to Bonaire (in the Caribbean - off the coast of Venezuela and near Aruba and Curacao) tonight with a group of scuba divers (as some of you know, I'm a scuba instructor and own a dive company) and will be back Memorial Day Weekend. After Memorial Day, I'll start contacting you in earnest and ask for money (check or credit card) so we can start getting some funds coming in and get a good head count.
 
Had a nice chat with Big John Williams last week and I've also been reconnected (thanks to Gayle Emery) with Jeanne Carbonara, who some of you may remember as the drama coach our sophomore year. And Mrs. Levitt (and husband Irv) are champing at the bit for this to roll around. It's always nice to hear from folks. So feel free to be in touch, or send me an update for your "Then & Now" page, or whatever floats your boat.
 
Hope to see you soon.
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 7/18/2009 (#13)
Greetings again fellows '69ers,
 
Hard to believe but exactly three weeks from today as I write this in Los Angeles, many of us will converge on Dover, Delaware, for our 40th reunion. As we're getting closer to R-Day, I thought I'd bring you up to speed on what's going on.
 
1. We're got 70 people confirmed right now for the Saturday evening dinner. That's composed to 42 DHSers and 28 dates/spouses. There's still time for you to join us if you haven't confirmed already. It's $69/person and you can mail a check payable to me (Ken Ollweiler) at: 1428 S. Kelton Ave., #304, L.A., CA 90024. I don't have to start giving them head counts until after August 1 so we've got some time. Be sure to indicate whether you want beef, chicken, or shrimp/scallop scampi.
 
2. I talked to the hotel yesterday and they've moved us from the Chamgane/Chardonnay ballrooms to the La Vista room which is up on the 7th floor. According to the person I'm dealing with at Sheraton, this is a GOOD thing as it afford us some privacy since we won't have other events going on around us and we'll get a nicer view of the city.
 
3. If you're planning on staying overnight at the Sheraton, they did NOT set aside a block of rooms for us nor is there any kind of a special rate. Call them and get their best deal for however many nights you think yuou'll need.
 
4. Part of the idea of this whole thing was to make it more than just a reunion dinner. Plus we wanted to schedule some other things that didn't cost any money. So here's what we've got planned so far. These are all open to everyone, regardless of whether you're coming to the dinner or not:
 
FRIDAY EVENING (8/7)
7-11PM - Informal party at Sharon Chambers' house, between Dover and Milford. Details and a map coming in a few weeks.
 
SATURDAY (8/8)
9AM - Tour of the high school with current principal Gene Montano. See what's changed and what hasn't. (Anyone remember their locker combination???)
11AM - One-hour guided/narrated walking tour downtown with First State Heritage Park. Starts at Visitors Center on Federal Street near the Green.
Afternoon - Hoping to set up a tour of Dover Air Force Base. Not yet confirmed.
7-11PM - Reunion dinner ($69/person) at the Dover Sheraton.
 
SUNDAY (8/9)
Morning - Nothing specific yet but [perhaps we'll find a place to meet for brunch or something like that.
Afternoon - Golf at Garrison's Lake. If you don't play, we can always use some caddies.
 
5. If you haven't done a "Then & Now" page, get me a photo and a blurb.
 
6. Some people have asked what to wear. The answer is: Whatever makes you comfortable. I think a prom dress or a tux is overkill and flip-flops and shorts may be too understated. The phrase we use out here is "nice casual." And there's probably nothing wrong with "dress-to-impress."
 
And that's it for now. It's really shaping up to be a great time and I'm sure the pace of things will pick up as we get closer. And it's been really great hearing from many of you. (Got notes from Tom Moore and Mark Bason this morning, as well as a phone call from Jim Brazell.) So I really hope you can attend some, if not all, of the activities.
 
I'm leaving Sunday morning for a week in Shanghai, China (going to see the total solar eclipse on Wednesday), but should be reachable by e-mail if you need anything. In the meantime, clear the calendars, start your countdown, and hopefully we'll be seeing you in August in Dover.