Sunday, March 05, 2006

Jamestown High School Class of '66 reunion


Jamestown High School
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.
JAMESTOWN, N.Y. - Jamestown High School is having its Class of '66 40th reunion the same weekend as we are.

Their reunion, at least from what I understand right now, will be at the Lakewood Rod & Gun Club.

No kidding.

Too bad the Pastime is gone. We could have had a competing social event across the canal that separates the two places. Talk about old times.

I spent one hot summer at Jamestown High School, taking algebra from a Mr. Rizzo who was far better teaching than Carl Rennells at SWCS. Or maybe it was just that Rizzo scared us all into studying. I passed with flying colors at the end of the summer, swearing I would never spend another summer at Jamestown High School. Remember life before air conditioning?

I also remember we had a fellow in that class, from Jamestown High, whose name was Attila. I'm not kidding. His last name was something close to Quataroli. But don't try to look him up in the phone book with that spelling. He was a purported tough guy, who I spotted carrying his mother's groceries down the street later that summer. Even tough guys have moms, I suppose

I know during our high school years, there wasn't too much socializing with Jamestown High School. If I remember correctly, Jamestown HS was sort of the 800-pound gorilla, while we were a more modest weight.

But after graduation, when we would all return to Jamestown from various colleges, or tours of duty overseas, the playing field was more level and the rivalry less intense. Conversations were almost possible.

Here in California, I occasionally run into Jamestown High grads - all of us refugees from the snow. It's always fun to talk with them about the Pub and some of those joints down on Second Street where you could sneak in 17 (17? How about 16?) and get a beer.

Uh-oh, I hear the whistle of the Nostalgia Express and I don't have time to ride that train today.

But start your countdown clocks, July is just around the corner.

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