Welcome to the spring edition of our class blog - thanks for reading!
As you are aware, we are holding our 35-year class reunion this June. The invitations have all gone out in the mail; if you did not receive one, here is a copy of what was sent (less the Tom-Tom masthead!)
A Blast from the Past! It’s time for our class reunion!
Dear MHS ’76 Classmate,
You are cordially invited to attend our
35-year class reunion festivities!
Here is an overview of the festivities planned. We have provided a tear-off at the end of this invitation for your convenience. Please note the RSVP date of April 30, 2011. You may also refer to our class blog for information:
http://mahwah76.blogspot.com/ If you have any questions, please feel free to email Sue at:
mahwahhighschool1976@yahoo.com.
Friday, June 24, 2011:
Early morning: Golf outing at a location to be determined. An email will be sent to the class advising the location once it has been confirmed. Spaces are very limited so please call John Dolan at 201-529-0881 or email JD at
letsgetjd@aol.com to express your interest and to get further information.
Afternoon: Following golfing, golfers and non-golfers alike are invited to attend an informal BBQ at the home of John and Kathy Dolan, 47 Tam O’Shanter Drive, Mahwah, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Please indicate on the form below if you will be attending the BBQ.
Evening: Beginning at 8:00 p.m.
Mahwah Bar and Grill,
2 Island Road, Mahwah for drinks and socializing.
Saturday, June 25, 2011:
Evening Main Event: Reunion at the Doubletree Hotel,
180 Route 17 South, Mahwah.
6:30 p.m. until Midnight
Buffet Dinner and Dancing to a DJ Cash Bar
Cost per person is $65
Adults only, please
Notes:
John Dolan must receive RSVP and payment no later than April 30, 2011 due to headcount requirements for the banquet hall at the hotel. Please be sure to observe this date. Thank you! We need a minimum number of attendees as per the agreement with the hotel to hold the reunion so please respond in a timely manner.
Special room rates have been arranged with the Doubletree Hotel for a limited amount of rooms to be put aside for $99 per night for Friday and Saturday. Discuss with friends if you would like to share rooms.
Please call the hotel at 201-529-5880 by May 10, 2011 to qualify for the special rate.
Please mention to the hotel that
you are a member of the MHS ’76 Reunion.
If we do not have your email address,
please provide it in the space below
and/or send to Sue at the yahoo address above.
DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR CAMERA!
Thank you very much for your assistance in making this a memorable 35-year reunion!
Hoping to see you in June,
To RSVP for the reunion dinner dance,
please use this RSVP form and mail it,
along with a check or money order (payable to MHS Class of ’76)
to the address provided below:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail to:
MHS Class of ’76 Reunion c/o Mr. John Dolan
47 Tam O’Shanter Drive
Mahwah, NJ 07430
► Please reply no later than April 30, 2011◄
Name: ______________________________
Maiden Name if applicable :_________________________
Address: __________________________
City: _________________ State: _____ Zip Code: _______
Phone Number: ( ) ___________________
Email address if applicable: _________________________
Number of adults attending Saturday evening festivities at the Doubletree Hotel @ $65 each ______
Total check or money order enclosed: $ _______
Would you like to attend the informal BBQ
on Friday afternoon at John Dolan’s?
To assist John and Kathy with the preparations,
please indicate yes or no and # of adults attending ___
PLEASE NOTE: If you are interested in taking part in the golf outing, it is important that you communicate directly with John Dolan (through either the email or phone number above) to discuss this.
Spaces are limited and on a first come-first serve basis.
John will be able to give you the details about the golf outing
when you are in touch with him.
Thank you!
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Sadly, former MHS art teacher Mr. John Cottone passed away November 27, 2010 at the age of 63.
Many thanks to Linda Swickle Everett
and Cathy Swickle Johnson, who have kindly written to share their memories of this wonderful man.
If you would like to contribute any thoughts of your experiences with
Mr. Cottone, please feel free to send them to Sue and they will be included in the next regular blog,
scheduled for October 2011.
Here's what Linda (in blue) and Cathy (in red) have shared:
John Cottone provided my first exposure to "art beyond crayons" - he was my first art teach at MHS and quickly became a true friend to me, to my family, and to all of his students. John was a fine educator, but hardly the strict disciplinarian. In fact, he allowed us to get away with the sort of nonsense that would make most teachers pull their hair out. Here's what I remember most about John and about the art class experience at MHS:
Field trips to the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art - nothing short of magic!
John and I and 2 other friends (students) drove into NYC in his VW Beetle on a rainy Saturday and took in, not only museums and galleries, but a little diversion into Tiffany's! I recall walking in there rather drippy and not particularly dressed in Tiffany-shopping attire...feeling adventurous and slightly rebellious! Why? Don't know...it sorta felt like party crashing or something!
Neil Young's "Harvest" playing over and over on the crappy turntable situated too close to the pottery wheels. Even caked in clay, Neil Young kept singing.
And now...any time I hear good old Mr. Young "crooning"...well, it truly brings me back and all the fabulous, fun projects we were working on come into sight. When John gave us an assignment the parameters were whatever we wanted them to be...creativity knows no boundaries and he knew that.
John loved M&Ms and was skilled at catching them in his mouth from across the room. It was a game we played regularly. What a rare talent!
I have always loved M&Ms, as well...but maybe it was John who gave me a new appreciation of vegetables. I'll explain! Sitting around one afternoon, John decided to tell each of us what veggie we reminded him of...I was celery. I wasn't thrilled. Life goes on.
John was good at teaching technique, but always encouraged his students to express themselves in their own way. He had an open mind and appreciated the same in his students.
As an artist, John was modest. Unlike other art teachers (then and now), he never really talked up his own work - his focus was truly on his students. The only time I recall him mentioning his own art endeavors was when we were discussing the possibility of making bread sculptures - he said that he and some friends had fun one time making pornographic bread sculptures. True to form, he did not elaborate!
I once had a loud argument in class with one of my friends (who will remain anonymous). John gave us both detention that afternoon - I showed up, my friend did not. John softened and drove me home.
There were many times when a bunch of us would stay late in the art room to finish up projects and John would offer rides home. He was a generous soul.
The art room was always a second home...a comfort. When it was time to prepare work for showing to prospective colleges, John was there to make sure you put your best foot forward and spent endless afternoons helping you do just that.
John truly WAS a friend in addition to being a wonderful teacher. His nature was one of acceptance and encouragement and fun...there had to be fun. You will always make me smile, Mr. Cottone!
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In the last blog we showed a photo of a street sign with a classmate’s last name on it-
this edition we feature Collette McKeeby Rana’s sign. This is located in the Poconos!
Do you have a street with your name?
Be sure to share it with our class!
***
News from Robin Dexter Meyer:
"In November 2010, I participated in National Novel Writing Month and won! Actually, everyone who signs up and writes a 50,000 word novel from scratch during the month of November wins. The website is
"It's fun to let your imagination go and write like crazy in every spare moment, knowing that thousands of other people around the world are doing the same wacky thing. They send encouraging emails and you can join a local online forum or go to a local write-in, if you're so inclined. There's also a short book, "No Plot? No Problem!" by Chris Baty, that I found helpful. I'd encourage anyone who's ever wanted to write a novel to try it. They run a Young Writer's Program for kids, too, with a more modest word count goal.
"In April, they run an event called Script Frenzy. The challenge is to write a 100-page play during the month of April. The website is http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/
"I tried it last year and didn't quite get to 100 pages in time, but I had fun reading plays, watching movies, and learning how to write a script.
"I'm still looking for a job in Christian Ed and
writing is a nice diversion!"
***
GO T-BIRDS!
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A great memory from high school
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News from Mary Radecki Secrest
"My daughter Valerie graduated from the University of Miami in December 2010 with BS (double major in Biology and International Studies with a pre-med focus.)
She is working as a research assistant for the Miller School of Medicine as she awaits acceptance into medical school. As you can see from this photo I can use a doctor in the family."
***
Congratulations to Debbi Karpowich O'Connor's daughter Melissa!
Softball's O'Connor Named Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Week
LANCASTER, Pa. - Swarthmore freshman right-hander Melissa O'Connor
(Rockaway, NJ / Morris Hills) has been named the
Centennial Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week
for the week ending March 13,
the Conference announced on Monday afternoon.
O'Connor made her collegiate debut during Swarthmore's eight-game Spring Break trip last week, and wasted no time in establishing herself as a force in the Garnet rotation. She started two games and threw a total of 14.1 innings, striking out nine and surrendering only five earned runs. Through the first week of competition, she leads the team with a 2.44 ERA and allowed opposing hitters to bat only .281.
***
Robin Dexter Meyer has shared some winter photos from
January 27, 2011!
Cheerfully working away.....
The calm after the storm.....
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Bicentennial Memory
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Philomena DePalma Chillino is on the verge of starting up an interesting and innovative business.
So far, the buzz is extremely promising! Stay tuned to our next blog
for information on this exciting enterprise!
***
News from Cathy Swickle Johnson:
"So...I am finally contributing to the class blog...I am still a procrastinator at heart, it seems! One of the best things that I have to report is that all 3 kids are living nearby and that makes me very happy! Melody, who graduated with a BFA from University of The Arts in 2007 is living in Philadelphia and now, Beki, who graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2009 moved up to Philly on January 1 of this year...what a great way to start the New Year! Both girls are always working on their respective art specialties and are so passionate about their work - it's awesome! Jacob is at Rowan Unversity in Glassboro, so he is not far from the girls. He is studying Criminal Justice and is now pledging TKE fraternity. I remember TKE from my days at Rutgers and all I can hope for is that...it's nothing like that one! When he's here at home, Jacob is a volunteer firefighter in Plainsboro and also started training with the Rescue Squad...braver than me! I am so proud of my kids...can you tell?!
Cathy with kids Melody, Jacob, and Beki
"As for me, after almost 9 years in the advertising department at The Times of Trenton, I took a buy-out package in December of 2008 and was unemployed for 19 months. It wasn't too bad for me, as it was for so many who were out of work. I was lucky enough to combine unemployment benefits with some great temp positions until I started working at my current job. I'm the office administrator at a small pharmaceutical start-up and I am the only non-science person there. It's not intimidating as I thought it might be - we have a great team and I am blessed to be working with some amazing folks.
"Last, but certainly not least, I re-married 2005. Ken introduced me to the world of cycling in a big way and we ride all over. Each fall we ride between Trenton & Gettysburg - 200 miles over 2 days - to raise money for hunger in the Trenton area. It's the most amazing experience and I have Ken to thank for introducing me, not only to this sport, but also to the fun and inspiring people we are involved with in this cause."
Cathy is an avid cyclist
***
Best Wishes to Mr. O'Connor!
Mr. Dennis O’Connor has retired from Mahwah High School.
We wish him every happiness!
I am sure many of us have fond memories of times
spent in his classes.
He made learning enjoyable and fun!
We are hoping that he will be able to attend
our upcoming class reunion as
it is always wonderful to see him.
Best Wishes, Mr. O'Connor, from the Class of '76!
Mr. O'Connor is shown below with Gene Furlipa at our 30-year class reunion.
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Audrey Scordato Gleave, her husband Michael and daughter Melissa
at Melissa's Sweet 16th birthday party.
Son Christopher (away at school) is a freshman at Drew University. |
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Joe Sinnaeve (far right) and from left, wife Laura,
daughter Andrea,
son Kyle
at the Exit Glacier in Seward, Alaska
on a recent trip
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A few final words from Sue:
After the reunion in June I hope to post photographs from the events that weekend so
At this point I am thinking that I will create an album on-line to enable people to view the photos.
I’ll keep you all posted.
Please remember to RSVP your attendance to the reunion by
April 30, 2011
to John Dolan
by completing the tear-off form and including your payment.
If you change your email or postal address, please contact us with your new information so that we can keep you in the loop with any news about class "Happy Hours", reunions, or other important information.
Many thanks to all who contributed to this blog!
As always, if you would like to share your photos,
stories, news or suggestions,
you are most welcome!
The next regular blog update is slated for October 2011.
From the Great White North,
Wishing all a Happy Spring,
Sue Montgomery Lane
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