Reunion Recap

 

Friday night Welcome Reception (September 27)

Where/When: Sean O’Casey’s Irish Pub (Park Ridge Marriott) from 7:00 p.m. closing at 2:00 a.m.!

 

60 people filled the pub and a great time was had by all!

Food was available and a champagne toast kicked off the reunion weekend:

Here’s to us that are here

To you that are there (raising glass skyward)

And the rest of us everywhere

Long live our friendships … year after year!

 

Saturday Daytime (September 28)

What: Tour of our alma mater, Northern Valley Demarest began at 11:30 a.m.

Thanks to Jack Howarth for arranging this very special optional activity.

Approximately 45 people attended and thanks to Jack, our tour guide was none other than our former Vice-Principal, Dr. Eugene Westlake!

We also want to thank Jack for making a donation in our class name to the NV football team!

 

Saturday Night (September 28) – The Main Event

Where/When:  Park Ridge Marriott, Brookside Parc Banquet Room, 7:00 p.m. – midnight

Includes:  Cash bar, appetizers, dinner, dessert, DJ and a special remembrance gift for all

 

120 in attendance

Evening kicked off with poem written and read by Vinnie Curcio:

N.V.R.H.S – Reunion Poem

At first we’re born from our mother’s womb;
Our parents become all consumed.

K-1 arrives and we’re off to school,
We try to fit in and be super cool.

We graduate after eight years, maybe more~
Then it’s high school for another four.

Some came from Closter, Haworth or Demarest;
But we all arrived at NVRHS.

There’s studies, report cards and sports for some,
There’s baseball, basketball and the track folks run.

Other have more ambitious dreams,
Student council, chess or the debating team.

Regardless of which road you chose,
Your mind develops as your body grows.

Whether you drove to school or if you took the bus,
You were taught by Mr. Deluccia, Mr. Wright or Mr. Suss.

Much is witnessed and experienced,
Information is processed and comprehenced.

Growing up we had just seven channels;
Be we had the Yankees and we had Mickey Mantle.

We experienced the Cuban crisis and assassinations;
We viewed school busing and observed segregation.

JFK, Vietnam, the Super Bowl;
Jagger, the Doobies and Rock n’ Roll. 

We didn’t use a phone that fit within our palm;
We used a walkie talkie or an intercom.

There was no I Tunes, just a record store,
We got our music from a transistor.

Ford, Chevy or a Pontiac,
Dodge, Rambler and of course Cadillac.

When we grew up there were muscle cars,
We drove to 303 Liquors and the NY bars!

We had the Rec, Tazz Bowl and Rudy’s Pizza,
There was no Discover Card then, only Visa. 

Culottes, bells and the Saddle Shoe;
Danny’s Steak House and Steak n Brew…

We weren’t inner city kids, we were all suburban,
We shopped Hamrah’s and at Schaeffer’s Garden.

At the end of Ruckman Road they’ve taken restaurants away,
To most of us, it remains the China Chalet.

The Garden State Plaza had the Big Santa,
The mosaic across the street, was at Alexander’s. 

Tank Hill, the duck pond and the Bootery,
At 303 Drive In, there’s the famous marquee.

We caddied at White Beeches and hung at Waklee Field,
Some brought our six packs, which we keep concealed.

We had make out parties and played the Moody Blues,
We wore All Star Converse as our shoes.

Colentoni and Dom Sgro…we may have feared,
They kept us disciplined and they persevered.

We hung at lockers, the bathroom or under the bleachers,
We hid from ALL the coaches and most of the teachers.

Outside the principal’s office and in the hall,
We used a dime at the pay phone to make a call.

Any typing; I signed up as easy credits I recall,
Who knew it’d become the most useful class of them all?

Today it’s all different and a whole other world,
So much has changed and so much as unfurled. 

GPS, I Pads and fast food fights,
The Bud Bowl, Red Bull and Miller Lite.

Home Depot, Lowe’s no more Two Guys,
Crazy Eddie’s gone, it’s now Best Buys.

Verizon and of course AT&T,
Does either have more proficiency?

Sony electrics were the best by far!
Now Samsung’s come and they’ve raised the bar.

It’s tough keeping up with all this stuff,
Deciding what’s important and what is fluff?

There are many choices as an educated consumer,
There’s too much to research for us baby boomer’s. 

Will I wear socks with sandals and white belts and shoes?
Will I nap at 12 and later take a snooze…?

When I lose my readers, I can’t read a menu,
Is it only me or does this affect you, too?

Maybe you’ve gotten gray and have a few more wrinkles,
It’s happened to us all but it sure beats pimples.

I’m glad you decided to join in as our class of 73,
A lot of planning went into tonight’s jubilee.

Regardless of your memories back in high school,
Tonight is the night to let “School Rule”!

It’s great to be together and to see everyone,
To be with old friends and to have some fun.
The committee’s sure glad you decided to come!

So as we toast and while reminiscing,
Let’s take note of a few friends missing.

Some of our classmates have not survived,
We’re all a part of those we knew in our lives.

Let’s toast to them and let’s hope they’ve joined us here,
To us all, I’d like to send a blessing and a cheer!

 

This was followed by a toast given by our Class President, Ginny Reeve Guilfoile:

Here’s to the lucky ones:

The ones who made it from pimples to Go-Go Boots and Norsemen football to midlife crisis and grandparenthood

Here’s to the lucky ones

Who hold memories of sisters and brothers, friends and classmates whose tickets were punched way too early

Here’s to the lucky ones

Especially those with great commitment and enthusiasm who planned and executed this special evening – Tricia, Colleen, Vince and Patty – Thank you!

Here’s to the lucky ones

Who are here to reconnect with their past and reunite with friends

May we remember with gratitude all those who contributed to our paths which lead us here tonight

Here’s to the Class of 1973!

 

Playing on a screen all night was a wonderful PowerPoint presentation created by Vinnie Curcio. It contains all classmates’ yearbook photos alongside a current photo (where available), as well as old and new photos of classmates and remembrance pages to bring us back to what was going on in the world during our HS years.

 

This PowerPoint presentation was copied on blue Flash drives and given out to all attendees as their remembrance gift of this wonderful occasion.

 

The room was beautifully decorated thanks to the exquisite taste of Colleen Pagliuca Llanos.  Thanks go to Laurie Zullo Totoro, Trish Leary Joyce, Patrick Joyce, Tricia Matthew McGillivray, and Keith McGillivray for their help in decorating the room and overall room set up.

 

Thanks too to those who donated door prizes that were given out throughout the evening:  Colleen Pagliuca Llanos, Vinnie Curcio and Linda Siebert Albelli (wife of classmate Don Albelli) who owns Angelina’s Gifts and Goodies at 225 Closter Dock Road in Closter.  If you happen to be in Closter, please stop by her shop and thank her for her generosity to the Class of 1973!

 

We also honored those who met in high school and remain married.  It was our pleasure to turn the spotlight on the following with a special “couple’s dance”:  Rich and Nancy (Stillman) Baumann, Tom and Joanne (Thompson) Hills, Wayne and Jen (Shute) Linteris, Kevin and Linda (Heck) Moran, and Todd and Sandra (Feliciotti) Ringelstein.

 

We want to thank our two great volunteers who greeted everyone at the registration table:  Marie Curcio Elwell and Trish Kirwin from the NVRHS class of ’76. We hope they took away some great ideas for their upcoming 40^th reunion.

 

Special thanks to our volunteer photography team led by Lynne Foster and Suzan Meldonian.  Contributing photos to our reunion album are: Patrick Joyce, Carolyn Stubbs, Polly Hutnick Farber  Rich Baumann, Donna Shalboub Annone, and Kassia Dellabough.

 

Finally, thanks to everyone who attended.  It was the great company that was the most special and memorable element of the entire weekend!  Until we meet again!