Hello.
THE 2020 REUNION is now only 3 months away from today!
Yesterday my cell phone blasted a frightening alarm, announcing Governor Whitmer’s extension of the shutdown until April 30th. Difficult times for event planners!
I’d like to start by sharing this short film, created by a Detroit advertising firm (you’ll have to “skip ad”):
I like the sentiment; if we must stay home instead of reuniting, we will do it out of love.
Contingency Plan
June 9 is the day that I must decide if we move ahead as scheduled or postpone.
Until then we will move ahead with plans to reunite on Friday, July 10, 2020.
Tickets will go on sale May 10th. If we have not sold enough tickets by June 9th, the reunion will be postponed.
If safety advisories are not lifted and if The Community House has not reopened, the reunion will be postponed.
If postponed, purchased tickets may be applied to the new reunion or refunded less fees.
A new date will be determined when enough information is available to determine a safe date to schedule the event.
Classmate Search
The process has been slowing down, with more mailings returned than classmates being found. It’s the natural order of these things, but we are not giving up and will continue searching right up to the reunion.
I am foregoing the monthly PDF Missing List. You’ll see why below.
Another Hotel Deal
Karen Roth was in the process of establishing yet another room rate reduction for us, this time at The Somerset Inn, when the lockdown was declared. Expect an announcement of lower room rates there, once things reopen.
Virtual 50th Anniversary Celebration
To date, I have received fewer than ten photos of classmates toasting our Class for inclusion in the 50th Anniversary video. I hope this isn’t indicative of a lack of interest, as this may be even more important in case we do have to postpone the reunion. I’m telling myself that you might just be waiting for better weather or special occasions to take your photos. I do hope you will participate. June 1st is the the deadline to be included in the video which will be distributed June 11th.
THE 2020 REUNION WEBSITE
It is with a mix of pleasure and apprehension that I can announce that… (drum roll)... our reunion website is online!
I’m pleased in that I accomplished my goal of making a better looking website than those tried-and-true-but-ugly reunion websites that are available.
I’m apprehensive as this is my first time, it’s not tried-and-true, and ask for your patience in case any problems arise.
On this site you will find past monthly updates, events around the reunion with opportunities to let me know if you be attending and see who will be coming, missing classmate info list, In Memoriam list, and this is where you will be able to purchase tickets and make donations toward the reunion beginning May 10th.
You will also find THE 2020 PIPER, a voluntary directory/biography of all participating classmates. A lot of you have been wanting to know if classmates live in your part of the country. Well, this is the place you can share where you live, as well as your biography and up to five photos. It’s a two step process, so don’t let selecting your photos delay you from submitting your information. The photos can be added later.
There are a few biographies already on the site. When you see a senior picture, click, and you will see the biography and photos. I couldn’t place a back button so you will have to use your browser back button to get back to the senior pictures.
There is a place to UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO where I hope you will input your contact information, and keep it up to date. This information will be kept confidential, only to be used by the Classmate Search Party to keep you informed of future reunions.
In trying to keep this website a safe place to share your information with the class, but not the world, the site is password protected. Please visit often, and enjoy.
Website: seaholmclassof1970.com
Password (case sensitive): SHS70@50
Facebook
Our private facebook page “Seaholm Class of 1970” will continue to be an active place for news, chat and sharing memorabilia. Think of it as THE 2020 HIGHLANDER.
Looking out my window
It’s a gorgeous day, cold but clear, and it’s Good Friday. This is not a good day for me.
I did not have a religious upbringing, but as a child I did know that a good person was being cruelly put to death every Good Friday. The streets were empty, and the sun seemed to shine less brightly. It got worse when, on Good Friday 1991, my mother unexpectedly didn’t wake up.
And now the streets are empty again, and something invisible in the air is unfairly decimating our poor communities in Detroit - the very people we were told to care for.
When I get this down there are two things that pull me through: Humor and Beauty.
Humor
Classmate Jim Ekberg included me in this email which I really appreciated - and needed. I hope he won’t mind my sharing it with all of you.
Hey Kids,
Missing y’all and hope everyone’s doing splendidly in this obtuse and opaque hurricane of rapid and confounding change.
All that to one side, just remember, this will all get sorted, and soon. And we’ll one day look back on our Corona “snow days”, if not fondly, at least with a deep exhale for the time when internet speeds slowed to the point where the blur of day to day living resolved to reveal that which we hold most dear. Family and friends!
Parcheesi anyone?
Wildlife is reasserting it’s ancient domains down here in “Stay at Home” Florida. Migrating birds have colonized the beaches, turtles are crossing ribbons of arid asphalt unmolested, White Tailed deer are queued up at the Starbucks drive through, and Sand Hill Cranes lead their fledglings in stately baccalaureate processions through empty Publix parking lots.
Come to think of it, these critters offer us a fine example of “Carrying on Regardless”, a motto to both live by AND dance to, if you happen to be a Van Morrison fan.
So while the axis of the modern world gets greased, and the particular fulcrums of our own lives take a squirt of oil, air kiss those you love, virtually hug those you hold dear, and reach out to somebody who needs you.
AND WASH YOUR HANDS dammit!
CHASER:
After two weeks of quarantine, the wife calls from the next room, “Honey, do you ever get sharp pains in your chest, like someone is sticking you with Voodoo pins”?
To which he replies, “Nope”.
To which she replies, “How about now?”
Best,
Jim
Beauty
Thank goodness it is a beautiful day here. When I see beauty it’s as though it travels through my optic nerve right to my brain and releases chemicals that heal me and make me feel.
It’s that feeling that made me want to share Jim Hagen’s photography with you last month.
And it’s that feeling that makes me want to share another classmate’s work with you, that of Peter Gilleran. I didn’t know Peter well in high school. He was quiet, but I knew from the first that he was an artist and always would be, and I’m happy to have been right. Please enjoy:
https://youtu.be/3EgF9d6SfgI
Come to the reunion. There’s a lot more to share.
Wood