| 10/10/08 12:11 AM |
#129
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Crystal Clark (Woods)
Wow! Take a break for a few days, and look at all the conversation I've missed! You guys have some great ideas, and I'm game for Hot Springs or whatever the group decides. I do believe, however, that many people who still live in or around Sheridan would save a lot of money if they could stay at home for the night, rather than paying a hotel bill. And even people who don't live here may have friends or family members with whom they could stay for free. (I have a big couch and a couple of extra beds, so some of you could crash here if needed!)
After paying airfare or high gas prices to get here, I'd hate for people to have to pay another large amount of money just to have a place to sleep. And I'd also hate for anyone to refrain from coming because of financial restraints. For that reason, and regardless of where we decide to have the reunion, I'd like us to set up a method for donations as soon as possible because I'd like to donate monthly to cover my own expenses as well as some of the expenses of others.
But before completely abandoning the Sheridan alternative, I think we should carefully consider a few things. Aside from the cost issue discussed above, some people who don't live here anymore would probably enjoy seeing the old school and town again. I know the reunion is mostly about reconnecting with former classmates, and we can accomplish that anywhere, but Sheridan is also a special place and some people might like to spend more time in town while they're here. (Doesn't matter that much to me, 'cuz I live here!)
Attending a home football game might be something a lot of people would enjoy, and their kids might enjoy it too. We could probably even block off a section of bleachers or something with a "Class of '89" banner and all sit together. Either before or after the game, perhaps we could arrange for a tour of the high school building. I don't know about any of you, but I haven't set foot in the place since our last day of school. I think it'd be kind of neat to walk down the halls again and relive some old memories.
The next day (Saturday), we could either head to Hot Springs for the remainder of the weekend, or have a family picnic at the Sheridan Rec Center. There's basketball, tennis, skateboarding, playground equipment... And that evening, we could go the Country Club for a fairly low price and hire a band or DJ or whatever. The food could be catered, and that would be the biggest expense of the whole weekend (aside from travel expenses for out-of-towners). I am in favor of a cash bar, though. No reason for non-drinkers to foot the bill for the rest of us!
Don't get me wrong... I don't feel particularly strongly about having the reunion in Sheridan, and Hot Springs would certainly be nice, I just don't want us to toss out the Sheridan option so quickly, just because a few of our more vocal classmates prefer to go another route. There are a lot of voices we aren't hearing. But Chris is right, if we're going to have it at a nice hotel, time is of the essence. Hotels, convention centers, and tourist attractions book up months (sometimes years) in advance.
And just to make things a little more interesting, here are a couple of new ideas to consider... I know everyone is talking about Hot Springs in the summer, but has anyone thought about a day at Oaklawn Park? Live racing is from January through...March or April? I'm not sure, but it isn't summertime.
Also, there's been no mention of Little Rock, but downtown Little Rock is very, very nice nowadays. There are several hotels with lots of space (Peabody, Doubletree, Courtyard Marriott, Wyndham), and there are great restaurants, bars, art galleries, trolley cars, the Clinton Library, Heifer International, the new baseball park, etc., all within walking distance.
Just food for thought! I really don't care where we do it, I just want to see as many of you there as possible!!!
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