From July 1 - 4, 2011, East Longmeadow High School held a birthday party to celebrate its first fifty years. Over 800 alumni, faculty, and guests attended a variety of events.
Note: Photos below courtesy of Donna Anderson unless otherwise noted. Many thanks, Donna, for your outstanding work in documenting the celebration!
How It All Happened
In 2006, Rosemarie Molinari Myers (ELHS 1965) envisioned an event celebrating 50 years of academic excellence at ELHS. On the inside cover of the program given to attendees she noted,
"I have many fond memories of my four years at East Longmeadow High School. Several of the friendships I developed with my classmates are still active today and I thought this 50th birthday party would provide a unique opportunity to celebrate those memories and give everyone who has been a part of this amazing institution a chance to do the same.
"All of my children attended East Longmeadow High School and I will never forget the incredible support that we all received from so many dedicated and caring staff and faculty members. Because my experiences here have had such a positive impact on my life, I am thrilled to have this opportunity to give something in return."
Assisted by an enthusiastic committee, Rosemarie transformed her vision into a celebration filled with love, laughter, poignancy, and sentimentality.
At its conclusion, Rosemarie stated, "Thank you everyone. This was the biggest celebration East Longmeadow High School has ever had...and then it was time to say goodbye to so many friends, new and old, and there were tears of joy and happiness as we ended the four day celebration, but we took with us so many memories that will last a lifetime."
Our principal, Mr. Ralph Shindler, who turned 90 in March, 2011, was unable to attend, but sent the following letter:
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Friday, July 1
From 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. an open house was held at East Longmeadow High School. Past and present administrators, teachers, and students, as well as many guests came from all over the world to celebrate. Everyone enjoyed reuniting and reminiscing in the cafeteria. While touring the halls we relived memories of which teacher was in which classroom and colorful incidents from our high school days.
At 6:00 p.m. we had a ribbon cutting ceremony, with Gordon Smith, Superintendent, East Longmeadow Public Schools, and Richard Freccero, member, East Longmeadow Public Schools Committee, doing us the honor of cutting the ribbon to present our gift, the Spartan Walkway, to the high school.
For some video footage click on
http://www.youtube.com/user/mvpmvp37#p/u/9/_mhdBZXlXOM. The video begins with the tribute to our deceased classmates and school personnel who served us. Name tags with photos of nearly 300 classmates, faculty, administrative and staff personnel were displayed on panels near the gymnasium entrance. The tags were color coded by class year --- red for the 1960s, green for the 70s, blue for the 80s, yellow for the 90s, and gray for the 2000s. Faculty, administrative, and staff personnel name tags were on the far right panel. On a nearby table was a poem of tribute, written by Ron Dubour (ELHS 1967).
At the entrance to the Spartan Walkway, Gordon Smith (Superintendent, East Longmeadow Public Schools and former ELHS assistant principal from 2002-2004), Rosemarie Molinari Myers (ELHS 1965 and 50th Birthday Party Coordinator), and Richard Freccero (member, East Longmeadow Public Schools Committee and former ELHS principal from 1987-2010) display the plaque depicting the theme of the 50th birthday party.
Gordon Smith (left), Rosemarie Molinari Myers and Richard Freccero just prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Spartan Walkway.
Marker made of East Longmeadow brownstone at the entrance to the walkway.
The Spartan Walkway, directly across from the main entrance to the high school, with the first round of commemorative engraved bricks installed. The second round was installed in October, 2011. The third round will be installed in the spring, 2012. For details and an order form, click on http://www.edline.net/pages/East_Longmeadow_High_School, then on "ENGRAVED BRICK for Spartan Walkway Order Form" under "News". Photo courtesy of Rose Molinari Myers.
The walkway from the side.
A view from the back side.
Another view from the back side.
Hydrangeas in bloom.
Close-up of the center of the walkway. Photo courtesy of Rose Molinari Myers.
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Prior to the dedication of the walkway, classmate Bruce Moore reflects as he looks at the commemorative engraved bricks honoring his late parents, Bob and Jean Moore, and his brother, John (ELHS 1971), who passed away in 1978. Photo courtesy of George Skovera of The Reminder.
Commemorative Engraved Bricks Honoring High School Personnel Who Served Us, Classmates, and Family Members (including bricks from installations in July and October, 2011).
Left: Our thanks to the one who contributed this brick. Your splendid words say it all. Photo courtesy of Linda Harnish Lull. Right: A salute from our class.
Our superintendent, Mr. Robert Jarvis and his family, and our principal, Mr. Ralph Shindler.
Our librarian, Mrs. Lois Lopes and English teacher, Mr. Irwin Kerson.
Business teacher and soccer coach, Mr. Ralph Cooley.
Math teacher, Mrs. Adeline Wilk and her family.
Math teacher, track and football coach, Mr. Francis Dutille, and football coach, Mr. Bob Dobias.
The Moore family.
The Circosta and Truitt families.
The Kronenberg and Mertz families.
The St. Marie and Willard families.
The Beaulieu and Bourque families.
The Lull family. Photo courtesy of Linda Harnish Lull.
During the open house, alumni, faculty and staff from the school's first 50 years enjoy reminiscing in the ELHS cafeteria. Mr. Ronald Lech, who taught us social studies, is seated at the table in the foreground in a striped shirt.
Teachers Miss Judith Sessler (English), Mrs. Marina Herschuk Luff (business) and 94-year-old Mr. Alexander Nickett (foreign languages). Photo on left courtesy of George Skovera of The Reminder.
Teachers Mr. John Cheney (music) and Mr. Edward Modzelewski (physical eduation, and football and baseball coach). Photo on right courtesy of George Skovera of The Reminder.
Teachers Mr. Ralph Cooley (business) and Miss Doris Knechtel (home economics).
Andrea Hastings Driscoll, Gina Truitt McKinney, Donna Anderson, and Scott Moore in the halls of the school. Photo courtesy of Jeannie Donovan.
Andrea Hastings Driscoll, Jeannie Donovan, Donna Anderson, and Scott Moore. Photo courtesy of Jeannie Donovan.
This is the classroom where Mr. McKinney taught us English. The windows, which went all the way to the ceiling during our time, have been reduced in size to save energy. Photo courtesy of Jeannie Donovan.
Saturday, July 2
Several classmates gathered for lunch at the Pizza Shoppe in E.L. Front row: Andrea Hastings Driscoll, Jeannie Donovan (with us through 9th grade), Karen Martin Johnson, Beth Davidson Tierney, Kathy Newton Sowa (with us through 10th grade), Gina Truitt McKinney, Karen Esposito, Ginger Martin Taylor. Back row: Dean Florian (with us through 8th grade), Nancy Wrinkle Raducha, Scott Moore, Jim Wilkins, Pam Stenard Ossorio, Marilyn Man Streeter, Donna Anderson, Roy Esposito. Photo courtesy of Andrea Hastings Driscoll. Here's a short video, taken by Roy Esposito, of us inside the Pizza Shoppe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leLOvF7XeLA&feature=youtube_gdata_player.
Scott Moore, Dondi Fiorentino, Dean Florian, and Andrea Hastings Driscoll inside the Pizza Shoppe.
Evening Gala
Assistant principal Mr. Manley Hart and assistant principal and science teacher Mr. John Katsoulis and his wife, Beverlee.
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Teachers Mr. Francis Dutille (math, and football and track coach) and Mr. Bob Mazzariello (English), with Laura Moore (ELHS 1974).
Teachers Mr. John Cheney (music), Mrs. Marina Herschuk Luff (business), Mrs. Rachel Fleming (french), and Miss Doris Knechtel (home economics).
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Teachers Mrs. Anita Katseoris Themistos (English) and Mr. Richard Bolles (physical education and football, swimming, and track coach).
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Teachers Mr. Joseph St. Germain (business) and Mr. Ralph Cooley (business, and soccer coach).
ELHS Class of 1970 attendees. Front row: Andrea Hastings Driscoll, Gina Truitt McKinney, Kris D'Angelo David, Marilyn Man Streeter, Susan Circosta Mancinone, Dondi Fiorentino, Channing Orr. Row 2: Rich Mondoux, Jeannie Donovan, Dot Keller Thomas, Lois Melbourne Webber, Scott Moore, Maria Siano Nicolazzo, Donna Anderson, Bruce Moore, Jim Wilkins. Photo courtesy of Robert Charles Photography.
Sunday, July 3
On Sunday afternoon Bruce and Scott Moore, and Donna Anderson stopped by to see Ross Overlock at his home. Left to right: Bruce, Scott, Donna and Ross.
In the evening, ELHS alumnus who had performed in Spartanum Spectaculum acts throughout the years performed in the concert band shell on the grounds of ELHS prior to the fireworks. Jim Wilkins, from our class, performed magnificently, singing "The Summer Wind" and "My Way" to the accompaniment of an instrumental sound track.
Jim Wilkins was back on stage to close the show, accompanied by ELHS alumni.
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A fireworks display, like only East Longmeadow can put on, concluded a wonderful evening.
Monday, July 4
For the town's fourth of July parade, the birthday committee built a five tier birthday cake float. More than 50 ELHS alumni and faculty walked behind the float. Following the parade, a picnic was held at Heritage Park in E.L.
Scott Moore and Gina Truitt McKinney with other ELHS alumni in the staging area on Hanward Hill prior to the start of the parade. Photo courtesy of Laura Moore.
The ELHS 50th Birthday Party float, designed and built by ELHS alumni, pulls into view at the corner of Mapleshade Avenue and North Main St. For some video of us at the parade, click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-0MOXGAChc.
For video of the entire parade, courtesy of East Longmeadow Community Access Television, click on http://origin.peg.tv/pegtv_player?id=T01000&video=24009. We appear at 00:37:15 in this video. Note: to activate audio, click on the volume level icon (vertical lines) in the lower right corner of the video.
50th Birthday Party coordinator Rosemarie Molinari Myers holds the float's first place trophy aloft, while another ELHS student, dressed as a Spartan, gestures to the crowd.
A large group of ELHS alumni and a few faculty members walk behind the float.
Another shot of ELHS alumni and faculty behind the float.
The five tier birthday cake, each tier symbolizing a decade, moves up Maple St (E.L. Public Library and town hall in background). Standing on the float, Rosemarie Molinari Myers leads the alumni, walking behind, in cheers for our school. Photo courtesy of The Republican newspaper.
Riding in the parade were our librarian, Mrs. Ann Lynch (front seat in white), and music teacher, Mr. John Cheney (back seat in white). Photo courtesy of Roy Esposito.
In the front seat in red was Mr. Francis Dutille, who taught math and coached football and track. In the back seat is Mrs. Yarnell, the wife of Glenn Yarnell (ELHS 1965), who is driving. Photo courtesy of Roy Esposito.
In the front seat was business teacher, Mrs. Marina Herschuk Luff. In the back seat were business teacher, Mr. Joseph St. Germain, and science teacher, Miss Kristine Shonak. Photo courtesy of Roy Esposito.
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Following the parade, at the picnic at Heritage Park, we met teachers Mr. Ronald Lech (social studies) and his wife, Mrs. Judi Gallant Lech, who taught us social studies at Birchland Park School.
Classmates John Quinn, Jr. (left) and Bruce Moore. John was with us through 11th grade. His father, the late Dr. John Quinn, M.D., served as our school physician. Photo courtesy of Scott Moore.
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The spirit of the 50th Birthday Party celebration lives on. The Spartan Walkway, with its commemorative engraved bricks, provides a wonderful way for members of the community to experience a nostalgic look back at those who were a part of the high school's first fifty years and a unique opportunity to be part of its future. The second round of engraved bricks was installed in October, 2011. The third round will be installed in the spring, 2012. For details and an order form, click on http://www.edline.net/pages/East_Longmeadow_High_School, then on "ENGRAVED BRICK for Spartan Walkway Order Form" under "News".
In addition to our gift of the Spartan Walkway, a substantial amount of money was donated to ELHS to purchase a computer cart consisting of 25-30 laptop computers that will be utilized by classrooms.
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