Room Identified for Reunion

It looks like we will have about 40 people at the reunion (best guess as of today). Based on that, we have selected the Ellicott Room at the Hyatt for the party. It is a meeting room (not a private suite), so we don't have to worry about disturbing other guests nor with how late we par-tay. The picture shows it set up for a business meeting. Screw that. We will have it arranged with high-top and conventional tables and chairs, plus a bar at one end. It should suit our purposes perfectly!!

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Mini Reunion attendees as of 2/21/10

Here's the list of our classmates who will be with us on Friday May 7. Please join us.


Ted Becker
Ron Boller*
Bruce Caley
Florence Antonucci Campos*
Wayne Dadswell
John Dunnigan*
Bill Fleischauer *
Suzanne Schillo Fromkin
Beth Hogan Gilliam*
Joanne Good Hill*
Lorie Hill
Candy Reist Holman*
Sue Babinsky Klien*
Bob Kopf*
Vicky Kurkowski
Ron Manne*
Elaine Robinson
Dave Van Knapp
Elsa Amigone Wolf

* Spouse will also attend.

Hope you can joins us.  E-mail Dave or Ron with questions, comments or corrections.

Ron

Top Hits of 1963

Ahh, 1963. End of junior year, beginning of senior year. Many of us began making adult decisions--about college, about love, about careers. We got our drivers' licenses. In Tom Brokaw's book, Boom!: Talking About the Sixties, he says that what we now think of as "The Sixties" really began with John Kennedy's assassination in November, 1963 and ended with Nixon's resignation in 1974. The social consciousness we associate with that decade was just getting under way. Not much social consciousness was reflected in the top songs of 1963. They were standard rock'n'roll songs about the usual teenage stuff.

1. The Ronettes, "Be My Baby"-- Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" production is on full display. Ronnie Bennett, the lead singer, would later marry Spector. Wonder how that worked out?

2. The Kingsmen, "Louie, Louie"-- A frat-rock classic. Were the lyrics dirty? Who knows? Nobody could understand them.

3. The Crystals, "Da Doo Ron Ron"-- Session singer Dolores Brooks sings the lead after Crystal Darlene Love angered producer Phil Spector and was removed from the recording.

4. The Chiffons, "One Fine Day"-- Carole King had cut this as a demo of her songwriting. The Chiffons got the nod and created this irresistable summer single. King cut it two decades later and enjoyed a modest hit.

5. Stevie Wonder, "Fingertips Pt. 2"-- Everybody say YEAH! A few years ago, I won a trivia contest by knowing that this was Stevie Wonder's first hit. I was introduced to it by Jack Wallen, who played it for me when we walked home together from a summer Drivers' Ed. session.

6. Roy Orbison, "In Dreams"

7. The Drifters, "Up On The Roof"-- Another Goffin-King hit straight from the Brill Building.

8. The Surfaris, "Wipe Out"

9. The Four Seasons, "Walk Like A Man"-- Recorded in a building that was, at that time, on fire. (It's true; look it up.)

10. Lesley Gore, "It's My Party"-- The ubiquitous Phil Spector was about to record this with the Crystals, but Gore beat him to it.

Mini Reunion attendees as of 2/6/10

Here's the list of our classmates who will be with us on Friday May 7.  Please join us.

Ted Becker
Ron Boller*
Florence Antonucci Campos*
John Dunnigan*
Bill Fleischauer
Suzanne Schillo Fromkin
Beth Hogan Gilliam*
Joanne Good Hill*
Lorie Hill
Candy Reist Holman*
Sue Babinsky Klien*
Bob Kopf*
Ron Manne*
Elaine Robinson
Dave Van Knapp*
Elsa Amigone Wolf
Vicky Kurkowski

* Spouse will also attend.

These folks may join us -

George Constantino
John Hoagland
Mike Indian
Lois Hilfiker Kanter
John Leamer

A word of encouragement from you might help them decide.


Email Dave or me if you have any additions, corrections or questions.

Ron

Information About Decade Event Is Leaking Out (Exclusive Report)

For your information, we have learned that the "decade event" for the 1960's in connection with KE's 50th anniversary celebration will be held at the Buffalo Tap Room (formerly the Park Edge Grocery), located at Eggert and Sheridan. We are still intending to go forward with the Class of '64 mini-reunion at the Hyatt.

This is an exclusive report. A different source has told us that there will be publicity about the Park Edge event, but this could not be confirmed as of press time.

Ron is inviting all Park Edge alumni to comment on their experiences there. Either leave a comment below, or save it for a small discussion group within the mini-reunion.