When: Saturday August 26, 2006
Where: The Warner Center Marriott Hotel, Woodland Hills, California

(Note: Photo buttons to the left not yet operative.)

To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of our graduation, we decided to break with the tradition of an evening “dress-up” banquet. Instead a group of about 150 classmates decided (on line via email poll) we should host a daytime event with casual dress. It wasn’t hard to decide on a theme for a class raised during the surf craze on the music of the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean: We did a “Back to the Beach” theme.

Classmates were asked to wear “Hawaiian shirts/beach causal” and all in attendance were given either a blue lei (if you were a classmate) or a white lei (if a spouse or not from the 1966 graduating class).

W66 classmate Joe Scarna, who is a professional event planner, donated a room full of scene backdrops and props to make the banquet room come alive with the beach theme. Wow! What a magnificent contribution! At his suggestion, the committee also decided to forego the usual live band or DJ and instead use a jukebox, loaded with the “Golden Oldie” music of our generation. Joe provided the dance floor area, and we had fun dancing with all our dear friends. (Be sure to check out Terese Blue Leber and Ruth Kutcher Kritz dancing the twist with their hula hoops!)

The Marriott hosted a wonderful buffet table to cover a wide range of dietary needs (yeah, some of us are getting to that age where fatty fries and desserts are but a pleasant memory). The entrees of Pepper Beef Bearnaise and the Grilled Chicken Provence were especially tasty, and among the many desserts, the taste of the chocolate mousse cake is one that lingered for a while in our palates! There was also a no-host bar that was well attended, but not as much as in years past (are we moving past our alcoholic primes?)

About 180 people attended, including many who had never journeyed back for a reunion before: Craig Harrison, Joel Hoffman, Karen Neighbors Stauffer, Cliff Bernstein, and Terese Blue Leber, among others.

We also made an effort to locate faculty members and invite them to attend the event as our thank you for their efforts teaching us everything we needed to survive (but thought we never would) all those years ago. Ed Moreno (Spanish), Thelma Lindenberg (English and Latin Club), and Warren King (Photography) were able to attend, and they received a standing ovation from the room when introduced. Several others wanted to come but couldn’t: David Farley (Drama), Margaret Hindee (Choir), Art Cole (English), and Gerald Wondra (English). Principal Ernest Naumann, still kicking at 95, felt ill that weekend and could not attend at the last minute. The names and addresses of those faculty members located will be in the Memory Book, and we hope their students will feel compelled to drop them a thank you letter.

Gary Mussell led a brief welcome after lunch. A raffle was held for gifts donated by some of the classmates for the event, and we gave our out traditional Awards for farthest traveled, most grandchildren, etc. (Click the "Awards" button at left to see the list on a separate screen.) Also, as is our other tradition at these reunions, we stood and had a moment of silence as we read the honored names of those no longer with us.

Lastly, we all signed a card of congratulations to classmate and Navy Capt. Stephen F. McCartney, surgeon, who recently won a Bronze Star in the Iraq War. We presented it to his brother Mike (aka Stan) McCartney to give to him when he returns home.

Thanks to Hoppy Weiss who donated T-shirts for the occasion to help us defray the reunion costs. (They are still available on-line if you want one!)

The planned event lasted from Noon to 4pm, after which many of the reunited old friends grouped up and made dinner plans at one of the local restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Others strolled up to the penthouse suite where we could continue conversations and share stories on into the night. About 9pm Margaret Frey showed up, regretting she had to work during the day.

Many who stayed overnight in the hotel met again for breakfast in the morning before scattering again back to our individual lives. We heard some groups self-organized trips to Disneyland (to re-live Grad Night?) or to picnic at Zuma Beach, or to drive through the old neighborhood and look at the old high school again.

A big thank you to the Reunion Committee and those who helped the day of the event: Gary Mussell (coordinator), Randie Sclimenti Lawrence (treasurer), Paula Kingsbury (memory display), Joe Scarna (set decorations, music, and table displays), Hoppy Weiss (T-Shirts), Debbie Rucker Fore (check-in coordination), Sheila Tompkins Baker and Jackie Miller Benedetti (check-in work and welcome ceremony emcee). I know we left a few out of the list but it was a crazy day, and to you others who jumped in to help we thank you also. This was definitely a team effort!

I think everyone felt the time we spent together was well spent, but too short. Hopefully everyone will stay well and we can catch up again in another five years.