These activities were organized by the Reunion Committee,

in addition to the Reunion Gala Saturday night.

Check out the photos from these events by scrolling down the page.

Thank you to Ellen Berman for taking the lead on organizing these events.

Friday, September 23, 2016

"Kickoff Cocktails" @ Indigo Hotel

399 Grove Street, Newton Lower Falls, 617-969-5300

Kicking off our wonderful weekend was an informal get together at the Hotel Indigo, where many were staying. It was open to all classmates and spouses (significant others). We were lucky to have wonderful weather for the event outside around the pool. While the actual pool had been closed,we were fortunate not to have lost anyone in the pool, although there were two attempts!  We had a great turnout for this relaxed event with several classmates coming that were unable to make the reunion the following night. 

 

Click on photo to advance and see more.

 

Golf Outing @ Leo J. Martin Memorial Golf Course

The Golf Outing had a beautiful morning tee time. Golfers were at the course 45 minutes prior to the 8:30AM start and all dress in the official NHS  dress code of orange & black, one Tiger arrived!   After golf, they met at O’Hara’s in Newton Highlands for lunch and prizes.  Participating in the event were Steve Gilman, Steve Schulman, Nancy Wilbar Whooley, Tom Farrell, Dana Flynn, Bill Martin, Paul Murphy, Roger Dolan, Lester Gardner, Elliott Margolis, Sheldon Stone, Deb Chapman Scott Shea, Gretchen Ernst Leone, Pat Schiavone MacDonald, Jill Coven Marshall, Jack Farrell, Bob Gardner, and Kevin McArdle. A great time was had by all, thanks to the great organizing job by Barb, Jack and Steve.

Click on photo to see more golf photos.

 

Boston Duck Tours

 

The Boston Duck Tours leave from The Shops at the Prudential Center at 53 Huntington Ave at 10:00 AM Saturday morning and a small group of classmates were eager to board. Each duck boat holds 36 people and this is guaranteed to be fun and informative. We had "Mr Wonderful" as our guide and he was straight out of the '60's. He had so many interesting facts about Boston and kept us laughing! Riding on the water was the best part!

 

On the Duck Tour were:
    Ellen Berman
    Kathleen Hoey Thompson
    Molly Malone Popieniuck
    Martha "Marti" Sylvester Warren
    Thomas "Tom" Warren

Charles Riverboat Company Tour

Photo taken by Jonna Amicangioli Burns '66

Photo taken by Jonna Amicangioli Burns '66

Attending this event were:
    Judy (Judith) Alexander Mintz
    Jonna Amicangioli Burns
    Roy Donovan
    Carol Green
    Louise Lerner
    Beverly Stern Silver

Click on above photo for more photos.

 

 

NHS Tour and Newtonville Lunch Crawl

Donnie GOLDMAN Houser and Lesley Savitz Craig enjoying the tour.

Donnie GOLDMAN Houser and Lesley Savitz Craig enjoying the tour.

NHS 1966Our school was essentially a small college campus, but obviously wearing down.

NHS 1966

Our school was essentially a small college campus, but obviously wearing down.

NHS 1973In 1973 a new school was built along Lowell avenue- basically in the area of the old baseball fields that we knew. In short, it was a disaster. Designed by architects said to specialize in prisons, it looked and felt like one.  Few wind…

NHS 1973

In 1973 a new school was built along Lowell avenue- basically in the area of the old baseball fields that we knew. In short, it was a disaster. Designed by architects said to specialize in prisons, it looked and felt like one.  Few windows, corridors and stairs that led to nowhere and very dark. The very expensive swimming pool was built approximately 9” short of competition distance, and therefore unusable for meets. They kept the same 6 “Houses’ system, but they were all in an open series of intermingled corridors and quickly irrelevant.  Within 15 years discussions began to tear it down and start fresh. But it was a slow process.
 
When the 1973 building was completed, they set about tearing down our high school campus. In a move of sheer 70’s genius, they decided, rather than haul the debris away, they would simply bury much of the school remnants where they lay, using it as fill, and cover it over to create sports fields, basically covering all of Walnut Street, Building 3 and Building 1. As part of this process Elm Road, which had run straight through the school grounds, was redirected in, a circle fashion, to run over and through the site of our Building 1 and the “Shed”.

NHS 2016In 2009 construction began on the current school, which is spectacular, albeit expensive - close to $200,000,000. It is built across the center of the property, basically from the old football field, through Building 3, to the site of Buildi…

NHS 2016

In 2009 construction began on the current school, which is spectacular, albeit expensive - close to $200,000,000. It is built across the center of the property, basically from the old football field, through Building 3, to the site of Building 1. In early 2007 I was running my dog on the front fields and ran into a soil surveyor testing the soils. Turns out he was searching for “underground tunnels” which he thought were mysterious and odd, but had to be located. I walked him to the approximate locations. He informed me that the tunnels had been simply left, as is, when the buildings were destroyed in ’73 and were now filled with water. The tunnels, and all the old debris from our school, needed to finally be removed. The problem was that all the pipes running the length ofthe tunnels (which many/most of us wrote our names/initials on & in etc) were insulated with asbestos and likely other contaminants, as were Buildings 1,2 & 3. Think of that the next time you look through the yearbook and see photos of the white coated pipes in the tunnels & buildings. Full remediation was needed. Shortly thereafter, for approximately one year, hazardous waste trucks with workers in full hazmat gear worked the old building sites and hauled away the remains of our school (and the asbestos). The Football stadium was removed also.
 
In essence, our beautiful campus became a toxic fill for over 30 years, but now is a wonderfully functioning school that is in use 7 days a week by multiple public and private groups.

 

Classmate Richard Forte USA, first onE listed on this plaque hanging at the new high school! 

Classmate Richard Forte USA, first onE listed on this plaque hanging at the new high school!

 

If you were interested in learning more about the high school you graduated from, this was the event for you! Classmate Ted Kelly, who lives next door to the school and graduated his children from the school presented a wonderful overview of the past 50 years. You will find his handouts and information that he complied above.  

Led by a few NNHS student leaders our group of over 60 was divided up and sent off to tour the school. After the tour Ted talked to the group about the various eateries and restaurants that have replaced those we frequented in 1966. Everyone headed off for lunch, excited with what they had just experienced at this state of the art high school. It was also a great opportunity to visit and reminisce with classmates over lunch.

Attending the NHS Tour:
     William Alford
     Roberta Baeringer Messuri
     Tim Barry
     Leslie Bass
     Marie Bourgeois Wells
     David Bright
     Valerie Brooks Samson
     May Chen Chin
     Rick Cioppa
     Mary Cogan
     Bruce Cohen
     Kathy Coyle
     Janet Crosby Stewart
     Joel Dechter
     Alberto deMayo
     Ilene Devorin Stellar
     Neil Dobro
     Robert Doyle
     Jeff Elson
     Bruce Feldman
     Dana Flynn
     Francine Foster
     Eric "Randy" Gahm
     Wayne Gallant
     Kathie Gardner Hebden
     Janice Gatti Rizza
     Donnie Goldman Houser
     Theresa "Terry" Green Zois
     Mary Griffin
     Jonathan "Jon" Hacker
     Kate Hayden
     Karen Hemeon
     Ted Hodgen
     Kathleen Hoey Thompson
     Ted Kelly
     Karen LaRue Angst
     Bill Levin
     Frank Ronne
     Philip "Phil" Saindon
     Julie Schneider
     Nancy Schulman Maxwell
     Karen Segall Griffin
     Sandy Segel Goldstein
     Betsey Shriber Goldberg
     Caroline Stone Collentro
     Vicki Sudhalter Sudhalter-Forrest
     Jean Thomason McCaughey
     Franson Tom

Newton Cycling With Marlene "Sockol" Mills

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Marlene "Sockol" Mills '66

Classmate Marlene Sockol Mills invited other classmates to join her on a cycle around Newton! Marlene is an experienced cyclist and has been a lead for trips in California, where she lives. They had a great time on Friday with gorgeous weather.  

L-R: Bert Welti, Marlene Sockol Mills, Elaine & Bruce Levy, Judith Mintz, Katy Hayden & Ted Hodgen.

L-R: Bert Welti, Marlene Sockol Mills, Elaine & Bruce Levy, Judith Mintz, Katy Hayden & Ted Hodgen.