Message Forum

Grace, for anyone who likes cars.... fan or not, the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a MUST SEE!
This spring they just finished a 1-year, $50 million dollar renovation. Over 55,000 artifacts on display now. Very interactive. Lots of fun. Stuff for kids.
The docents mostly have over 30 years working at the track so the know EVERYTHING. Lots of great stories to tell.
They have a GREAT simulator to let you feel how hard it really is to drive am Indy car.
And you can combine the museum with different behind the scenes tours to see all the secret stuff!

I'll bet y'all didn't know the guy waving the flag on the top of the trophy is buck naked! And... very impressive, too!

See. Come to the museum and you can check that out for yourself!

07/08/25 01:51 PM

#1808

Andrew, doesn't get much better than the Bier Garten on a nice day!

I used to work with a guy who had a band on the side... "Polka Boy." Used to play the Rathskellar all the time.
Bier, wurst and polka!

07/10/25 08:40 PM

#1809

What a great night last night!

Thanks to all the folks who came out to show Terry Boelter DuBose some love. It was a gift to be able to let her know in person, just how influential she was to many of us. (Jayne T... she sends her love)

And so fun to catch up with everybody, share stories from our time at Lane, and look at some of our high school materpieces in Tech Preps and yearbooks.

We recreated the yearbook staff picture from the back of our '76 Arrowhead with the help of a few stunt doubles. I'd give it an "A"!

07/12/25 09:05 AM

#1810

Christopher Math

What a great picture. And i actually was able to identify alot of the folks after almost 50 years

07/14/25 10:30 AM

#1811

Andrew... you're on! Around that time I'll need it. I've got a 2 year project coming to a head in mid-August so I'll be pretty bushed by then!

07/16/25 12:51 PM

#1812

Imagine how shocked I was to see this warning from Firefox browser on Saturday (Jul 12).
I got the same warning each of the several times I tried going to back to LaneTech1976.com.
It warned that attackers could steal my passwords, emails or credit card information - Zykes!

I'm bewildered because Michelle keeps saying that her website is secure and unhackable.
I have not tried again since. It says there is nothing I can do except notify the site admin.
I figured if I shared it in the message forum it might get a priority to maybe get fixed.
I looks like nothing is really "safe & effective" and all sites have vulnerabilities.

Looking forward to confirmation the problem is resolved. Thanks!

07/16/25 02:55 PM

#1813

Norman Vorne

Gregory Groeper - From the screenshot you sent, it looks like you are not connecting to the site thru https, if you are connecting thru http, then yes that is an insecure method becuase there in no encription between you and the site.

Try this link below which has the https and see if that works for you.

https://www.classcreator.com/Chicago-Illinois-Lane-Technical-1976/class_forum.cfm#F3429123

07/16/25 09:58 PM

#1814

https://www.classcreator.com/Chicago-Illinois-Lane-Technical-1976/class_index.cfm

Greg, just to echo Norman's comment, as admin for our site, our information is secured as any other secured website. As Norman states, ensure you are using a secured address that starts with https.

Anyone can use the link below and just create a short-cut for future use.

07/17/25 01:10 PM

#1815

Update on our 50th Reunion activities:

The Committee met earlier this week and reviewed activities that occured since our last meeting in June. Of significant note, several banquet hall/restaurant venues were contacted to determine suitability for our reunion event. From this review, the committee narrowed the search down to a handful of venues. These few possibilities will be visited within the upcoming weeks by the comittee members that are local in the Chicago area. We have identified some good possibilities and hope to get a venue (and subsequent date) locked down shortly.

More to come as we continue up-wards and on-wards!

If you have suggestions, feel free to reach out to anyone on the planning committee:

Ed McCarthy

Peter Hong

Robert Cole

Per Pearson

Debra Skatchke

Georgette Rath

Grace Danziger

Pete Ingraffia

07/18/25 01:12 PM

#1816

Peter, Andrew & Norman:

Thanks, but please note that this occurred when accessing through the referring website "LaneTech1976.com".

The advice I got from ya'll was to the Class Creator site.

Please confirm that the origin URL is secure.

Thanks!

greg

07/18/25 08:29 PM

#1817

Tomorrow morning on WXRT (93.1) they are featuring the year 1975 on Saturday Morning Flashback. For those of you who don't know, Johnny Mars is from the Class of 1975 (his name was different back then), and rock and roll photographer Paul Natkin, referenced in the ad below, graduated from Lane in 1969.

07/19/25 09:01 AM

#1818

Greg,
It might not be the website itself but how you're accessing it. You can get it through "http" (unsecure) or "https" (secure). I believe the message you're getting is indicative of "http"
I also think most browsers have a setting for default. If you don't specify... which will it use. Google it. Find that setting. And set it to "secure" or "htps."
Security is such a concern lately that most browsers will now warn you of your not using https.
If you select "advanced" on that error message it'll probably tell you more. Abs it'll give you the option to go forward unsecured but not recommended.

07/19/25 09:55 AM

#1819

Greg, in addition to Bob's advice, when you're in class creator, just click on the address. If the full address opens with https, it's secured.

07/19/25 09:17 PM

#1820

Peter, Bob:

Just tried it again and now it is working and completes the link to the CC site.

Didn't do anything different.

Maybe it was the solar storm, polar magnetosphere flip, or the hamster wheel needed lubrication... lol.

Couldn't be the Russians... they still use pencils in spacecraft.

Thanks,

greg

07/21/25 05:03 PM

#1821

For anyone interested:

Lane 1976 30th Reunion GoLaneGo (MP4) (Length 5:42)
Short Photo Slide Show of Lane Tech Class of 1976 30th Reunion
September 15-16, 2006
With School Fight Song "Go, Lane, Go!" arr. Gregory G Groeper

You need this link to watch it:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/162877686780/permalink/10161343485866781/

You can always pause it if you want to look at a photo in more detail to find your pals.

07/21/25 08:35 PM

#1822

Patricia Hodge (Hanes)

Thanks Greg! I don't think I've ever seen those photos before. I've certainly wondered about the photos over the years so it's finally nice to see them after all this time.

07/24/25 12:26 AM

#1823

Andy:

Amazing craftsmanship!

Brings back memories of my Grandpa, a Master Machinist & Designer for Ford.

"Not Worthy" -LOL

greg

07/24/25 01:34 PM

#1824

Classmates - Just a heads-up.... The only official reunion site is this site. This is the only site the reunion committee will be posting updates regarding the 50th celebration bash. As well, the Alumni Association will also provide periodic updates on ours and other class reunions.

Be aware there is an individual on the 1976 Facebook site selling t-shirts purported to be official reunion T-Shirts. We have no idea who this guy is and he is in no way associated with the committee. He's even posting that a venue will be announced shortly, so hurry up and order your T-Shirts. Again, this is in no way associated with the reunion nor the reunion committee.

07/24/25 08:13 PM

#1825

Peter -

I found the post and took it down.

It is from Paul Johnson, perhaps OUR Paul Johnson, but either way...

Stop freaking out! Be cool.

greg

What's the difference between a hijumper and a hijacker?

One wins for medals while the other meddles to win.

07/25/25 05:18 PM

#1826

Ken Ortiz

Hello fellow bicentennials,

As you may know, our graduating class had the unique distinction of being the bicentennial class (200 years, 1776 - 1976) the same year our country was also celebrating it's bicentennial. And I still have our bicentennial medal and ribbon we wore for our graduation. So one idea I thought of for celebrating our 50th year reunion is that we bring bicentennial mementos to our reunion. I remember showing a picture of a bicentennial mug I saw (but didn't buy) at a local thrift store awhile back. Maybe I will make a quest to find that mug again and if I do, I will buy it (hopefully at thrift store prices if it hasn't become a vintage collector's item yet) then bring it to our reunion.

Because of my bowling failure while on the Lane Varsity bowling team my junior year (a sad story I have not told here yet), but to make it short, I bowled a horrible first game during our city tournament quarterfinals (against Morgan Park) and cost us the city championship as our team was one of the favorites. I was benched after that first game but even with me being replaced, we didn't prevail and got eliminated. Bottom line: My first game was so poor because I had lots of bowling talent, but did not yet have the bowling "savvy" as I went with a new bowling ball, thinking it would work better than my old reliable bowling ball. So I decided to "go pro" my senior year and started bowling in adult (money) leagues. There was a rule that YBA bowlers could not compete if they were bowling in adult leagues, so I was not eligible to be on the varsity bowling team my senior year. But one thing I was able to earn while bowling adult leagues in 1976 was that I earned a bowling bicentennial patch. If you bowled a 200 or better game, you got a 200 patch. Here it is as I still have it and I can bring that to our reunion.

I also have a bicentennial quarter, half dollar and a 1976 $2 bill I can bring to our reunion.

I also found an interesting bicentennial reference in a movie I recently saw again on streaming. Does anybody remember Kindergarden Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger? There was a scene where he is on the plane with his cop partner and they were talking about info they found on the mother (Joyce, played by Penelope Ann Miller) and child they were to protect. They found out that the mother graduated high school in 1976 so that means that Joyce is also a bicentennial!

I am wondering what other bicentennial momentos and/or references there are out there and are there any that you can think of? I will keep my eyes open for other bicentennial SWAG out there. (WHEW! I used the word bicentennial way too many times here!)

08/05/25 08:33 PM

#1827

Photo credit: Eric Theise '75.

Brings back memories.

08/19/25 06:41 PM

#1828