Harlan Bass

There was a bar at the Marriott?

Leslie Petranek (Farcy)

There's a Marriot?

Leslie

Karen Meldman (Finerman)

August 17, 2011

I am still tired from staying up way past my bed time last Friday and Saturday night.  It was worth every minute to have a voice hoarse from talking so much and sore feet from standing so long.

It was very touching to see everyone together having such a good time. All the responses were very gratifying.

Thanks to the outstanding team who put this together; it was great working with everyone and making new friends was an added bonus.   Thanks to everyone who attended from near and far. I missed a few who couldn't make it -- including Larry Simon, Linda Lauer, Jan Baldauf and many of my friends from the Class of 1972.

This site may replace Facebook for me-- keep those cards and letters coming!!

Happy Birthday PB!!

Lanis Jacobs (Howe)

Saying thank you and congratulations to the Reunion Committee doesn't seem nearly enoough as they have and still are doing so much for all of us.  This website has given us a way to find out about each other and communicate if we choose.  The addition of the pictures is so appreciated as are all of their efforts. The weekend was magical, there was a sea of smiles, sparkling eyes, warm embraces, OMG'S and WOW'S everywhere.  It didn't seem to matter what status a person held in school, or if people had never even met way back then, everyone was hugging, friendly and thoroughly enjoying themselves.  Reconnections were made and new connections were made as well; it was a wonderful time but all too short.  To those I had the pleasure of speaking with, I had the best time, I'm sorry it couldn't last longer.  To those I couldn't find, I hope to see you at the next reunion.  Stay happy and healthy.

Lanis

Claudia Mendelson (Bridges)

Okay, here are my Top 10 things I loved about this weekend:

1. Driving around HP with Gayle Goldblatt looking at the houses I lived in and recalling the bus stops I stood at and reminiscing while walking down Central Avenue.  It's different when you come back after several years.

2. The Friday night event and how many people I talked to that I never talked to in high school and how much I enjoyed the conversations.

3. The same for Saturday and afterwards at the bar...and the OMGs and WOWs.

4. Catching up with friends I haven't seen in years...Debra and Laurie Solgon and Cici Haskens and Doug van Arsdale. Reminding Tom Suber that he punched me in the arm (not that hard) at Edgewood in 6th grade because I wouldn't carry his books (it had to do with him making a circle with his index finger and thumb in the library and me looking at it).  So, the next day I pulled off his "fruit loop."

5. Remembering making divinity fudge with Pam Holmes mother as part of the girl scouts (and thinking about the part of buying my girl scout uniform at Garnets.)

6.  Connecting with Debra Krupp Katai after all of these years and sharing a hotel room and the nightly post mortem.

7.  The photo booth...what a great idea.

8.  Talking so much with so many people all weekend that I was hoarse on Sunday.

9.  Admiring how beautiful everyone looked and how approachable everyone was and how well we were all aging.

10.  How incredible the entire weekend felt on the flight home.  Experiencing yesterday's people with today's brain.  For as strange as it sounds, it was a measure of my spiritual and emotional growth.  I wasn't on the outside looking in...I was on the inside having fun.

Thank you committee and fellow classmates for making this an exceptional experience.

Laurie Solgon

I did the same driving around taking pictures of:

My house growing up (no they didn't tear it down and build some monstrosity), Lincoln school, Edgewood, HPHS, the beach, Gsell's old building where I worked, Sunset Foods, Lake Car Wash, the clock on the bank, the HP Theatre, the Art Center building where we used to have dances called Anchor (I think it was an American Legion building then), the windows where we painted homecoming Go Giants! rah rah pictures.

Thank you so much fellow alums for planning the festivities. I had an absolute blast.  I think we all did.  On Monday I went to the Art Institute to hunt down paintings from my youth school field trips.  Ah, I love Memory Lane.

I've added some pictures from Michael's in my profile. Go have a look.

To my friends old and new - Julie, Judi, Lanis, Claudia, Sue, Rick (and his much better half Mary Ann), Bruce, Susan (voted the one who looks most like she did in high school), Joy, and the rest of you, thanks so much for the love.

Julie Anixter (Shadur)

 Isn't it sad that we couldn't take pictures of Sheltons.  So great to see you Laurie.  Let's stay in touch now.  xx, Julie

William Norwell

Thank you all for coming! Whatever time was spent as part of the committee was paid back 100 fold by seeing the 200 smiling faces over Friday night, golf and Saturday night!

Claudia Mendelson (Bridges)

Rick Scoglio

 Phil

Beautiful tribute to your alma mater on your profile.

Nice job!

Nancy Cahn (Miller)

A big thank you to the Reunion Committee for the fantastic job that they did.  It was so wonderful to see old friends, some of whom go all the way back to second grade.  Also wonderfult to see all of my Facebook friends!  Highland Park was a magical place to grow up, and seeing everyone brought back soooo many memories.  I, too, spent the afternoon riding around taking pictures of my old house and old haunts.  Everyone has mellowed in these last 40 years and seems happy and or content with their lives.  I am only sorry I didn't get to talk with more people in depth.  Health and happiness to everyone, and I wish that it didn't have to be another 10 years before we see each other again.

Jill Greenebaum (Erbe)

The reunion was so fun at Michael! Phil, I had so much fun. It was great seeing all my classmates.The golf outing was so much fun too even though it rained.Sunday we shoud have gone to Denny's for breakfast. Oh well, Maybe the next reunion.

Judi Miller (Larsen)

Karen, thank you so much for creating the class photo index! Again, thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make our reunion so wonderful.  I still am raving about it to all my friends and co-workers. Thank you to all the guys (especially Wes, Kerry, and Steve) who made my husband, Rick, feel so welcome. There were so many people I didn't get to talk to, but I had the best time with Lanis, Laurie, Gayle, Rose, Claudia, Judy M., Rick (and Maryanne), Jack, and Kerry.  I also enjoyed catching up with Jeff Melvoin and Jim Schuster.  David Fuller, I can't wait to read your book! And "Birni," you are the picture of health and happiness. Do we really have to wait ten years before we do this again?

Peace to you all, Judi

Deborah Krupp (Ketai)

My epitaph for the reunion? "A wonderful time was had with all!"

The thing that struck me most about this reunion -- apart from the fact that the planning committee could make a bundle hiring itself out as a crack project management team -- was everyone's delight in each other. People walked around asking each other, "Did I know you in high school?"...and then fell into lovely, lively conversations even if they didn't.

Icing on the cake (or, to use a term from the HPHS theater department, lagniappes...and didn't we pronounce it "LAHN-yahb"?):

1. "Pre-meeting" a lot of people through email and this Web site; it really helped ease the way into conversations
2. Sharing a room with Claudia and catching up on EVERYTHING
3. Hanging out with Gayle Goldblatt, Jimmy Paulson, and Mark Keil at the Marriott
4. Learning that Bruce Koff and I both majored in Russian -- and that he and Mitch know my cousins
5. Finding out that Rose Hansen and Nancy Lawton, two women I've wondered about for years, are still as beautiful and strong as I'd remembered
6. Being reminded by Mark Shulman that I was a total ass on what may or may not have been a date
7. Observing marital bliss, both longstanding (Roberta Gross and John Preskill) and relatively new (David Axelrod and Penny, Mark Shulman and Denise)
8. Getting to know new people (or getting to know people anew), especially Nancy Cahn Miller, Jack Moses, Lanis Jacobs, Joanne Onesti, and Rick Brody

Only regrets:

1. My terrible eyesight: I never did find a couple of people I really wanted to touch base with, even though I know they attended
2. The people who could not be there for whatever reason, especially Michael Dudnick and others we've lost, plus Diane Schmidt, Sy Friedman, Cathy Felix, Jermy Rosenblum, Jerry Brandell, Joe Koach, Doug Munski, Pam Zabel, Barney Sherman, Stan Krauss...and the list goes on
3. Not having time to drive around HP, much less visit the high school (which still forms the backdrop of many dreams)
4. Think what we could have done with a piano and/or a dance floor.
5. It was way too short!

Thanks again to the reunion planners. You rock!

Jan Baldauf (Cook)

Classmates,

I am so sad that I wasn't able to attend the reunion, because by all accounts it was wonderful!  Thanks to all of you who took pictures!  It was so much fun seeing them and all of you who attended!  

I'm happy to say that I've been able to get reacquainted with some old friends, and enjoyed remembering some happy times.  HPHS was the best! 

Thank you Webmaster, Phil, for putting this great site together, and thank you, Karen and Committee for all of the work you did in locating people and planning the celebration!  I hope you're all planning to coordinate the next event because you're VERY good at it! 

Jan

Karen Meldman (Finerman)

Yesterday Barb Buhai and I had lunch with Linda Lauer Deardorff.  She could not attend the reunion because she and her husband had already planned this trip. (They live in Oregon.) We had a great time talking about everything, cruised through the Highlands and went to lunch at Michael's. 

Harvey Wolf

Harvey Wolf Checking In....

Sorry about not responding to various e-mails.  Still working 65 hour weeks BUT still loving my work in health care.  I do follow the posts and  they mean a great deal to me.  I would love to attend a Board meeting but they are on Saturdays which is a big work day for me and voice lessons for 2 hours at the end of the day.  If I know WELL in advance when you're meeting I will do my best to rearrange schedules to be able to attend.  I'll do better this time.  I think the 9/28 date sounds good.    If there is $$ needed for this event OR to keep the Web site going please let me know.  Love and best to all.  Harv

Patti Davidson (Pathman)

Pathmans are in for September weekend!  

Jennifer Schneller (Schneller)

Sorry I miss all these reunions. Sounds like you all are having fun! I'll miss the next one too, unfortunately.  

Living and working  in Istanbul makes it difficult.  Congratulations to the reunion committee. It seems you are doing a great job.  

love to all,

Jennifer Mansur Sertel 

Jerry Piacenza

Anybody know where I can get a hold of Rose Hanson?  Please let me know.  Thanks Jerry Piacenza.

Harlan Bass

See you all soon in Highwood

Julie Anixter (Shadur)

Dear HPHS Comrades - we had a 3 person/1 dog reunion in Las Vegas...yes, Scruffy came even though he technically wasn't in our class.  Heard the Highland Park version one week later was swell -- but so was this!  xx to all, Julie

Rose Hansen

AWWWWW!  Wish I could have been at the 60s reunions, and who knew Lost Wages was dog-friendly?!

Rose

John Rosenbaum

RIP Bobby Keats.  You will be missed.

David Dolgin

My condolonces to Robert's family.  I did not have lots of times with Robert, but the ones I did have were full of fun and laughter.