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| PCS Class of 1984 (click pic for more) |
Portville Reunion Weekend a Big Hit
Events blessed with nice weather
by Jimmy Reynolds
Aided by a break in the rainy weather that the region has experienced this summer, the town of Portville
celebrated its reunion on the weekend of July 9th. Leading the way to a successful and memorable experience were
several alumni classes from PCS as well as various organizations that donated time, energy, and money to the cause.
The class of 1979 (of which this writer is a member) celebrated its 25th-year reunion, kicking things
off on Thursday night with a welcome home party up at the Milne residence on Butternut Brook. A few of the old Obi Cabin
crew (http://pcs1979.com/thecabin/ ) convened to put the finishing touches on the weekend plans.
On Friday, the class of 1984 joined the 79ers for a reunion festival at the American Legion. By rough
estimate, 200 folks attended, including about sixty 79ers, fifty 84ers, fifty spouses, and forty people from
other classes (who were all welcomed with open arms).
Musician Dave Dorson entertained the crowd with his acoustic guitar, playing a variety of classic tunes. He
was later joined by fellow former Phones guitarist, Jerry "Pan" Pancio and a contingency of females who helped introduce Jerry's
new version of the famous Portville cheer - "We are the Panthers, the mighty, mighty Panthers..."
"It was great to hear some old Phones riffs again," commented Mary Freaney ('84), who admitted to being
a former groupie of the band. (click Portville Bands for more) "I still have their album."
In between musical sets, the crowd was entertained with a couple of video collages of the two reunion classes,
but the real entertainment was the fellowship and conversations that took place throughout the party.
"The class of 79 is known for its unity, inclusiveness, and acceptance," noted Roger DeAngelo ('80), who
is a manager for The House of Blues in Los Angeles. "They're all about love and having a good time...much like
the Beatles," Roger added.
1984 class president Shayne Snyder Certo and VP Coralie Warner McMahon were the tandem who came up with
the idea of throwing a joint reunion party. "Since our classes have a lot of family connections, we thought it would
be cool to do," both ladies agreed.
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| Go to Reunion Photo Gallery |
For several of the 79ers and 84ers, this was their first PCS reunion experience in a long time. Folks
like Julie Perry Cradduck, Greg Waldrip, Randy Bretzin, Tim Jordan, and Doug Torrey took a break from their new states to gather
with the regular reunion attendees.
Townie Chris Holcomb ('84) mingled with John Milne, Bobby Depp, Jim Kennedy, Tim Giberson, and others from
the jock contingency. Pete and Jon Stuckey represented both classes, as did Scott and Gary Nix, Margaret and Cathy Baldwin,
and Joe and Shayne Snyder.
79ers like Becky Shepard, Pam Aloi, Mike Milne, Barry O'Brien, Russ Martin, Chris Trahan, Larry Miller,
and Anne Holcomb crossed paths with Denise Afton, Mary Jean Brooks, Cheryl Moore, Ken Buchanan, Michelle Colletti, and Valerie
Hatchett from 1984.
Dudes from the old Portville Book Meetings reminisced - Doug Wright, Craig Clark, Mark Bowen, John Sprague,
Mark Childs, DeAngelo, and others. Former quarterback John Depp looked in good shape, Dave Rutterman was still quoting
Julius Caesar, and Kim Teuscher took alot of pictures.
 Carolyn Taylor (84) was one of the first to arrive, along with Retired Army Major Bretzin, Pancio, and Spraguey.
Marcie Cox Aloi brought husband Tony, who manages to get to all the Portville reunions.
Other 84 folks who signed the guestbook included Dave Smith, Tina Hilliard, Dave Gelder, Cheryl Williams,
Sandra Linn, and Barb Firkel. Former athletes Nix, Gary Swetland, and Bob Torrey welcomed the late arrival of '79 president
Boomer Connell.
"Boomer's the most famous person in our class, so we gotta give him his props," declared Coach Swetland.
"He's right up there with Lee A. Frair, Jeff Nix, and Roger DeAngelo as far as I know."
A bunch of people from other classes attended the festival, including Tim and Sheryl Russell, Pat Dunn,
Scott Forrest, and Rob Pockalny (Click Panther Profile - sub).
 Elsewhere on Friday, the Class of 1954 had a huge turn-out for their party, as almost all of the living
classmates attended their 50th. The Friday night festivities were just the beginning for these classes, as Saturday
was jam-packed with events.
Portville Heritage Day was centered around the Library, and breakfast was served by the Methodists and the
Eastern Star ladies. In the park, games and rides entertained the little kids and raised money for the town police unit.
To be continued...
Stay tuned for more reunion updates, including the Class of 79 Party at Mickey's and
a review of the 25th-year Reunion Video by Pan-Con...
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