SPRING 2008
WCS ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
(http://www.WillsboroAlumni.com)
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Willsboro Alumni Association is to create, maintain, enhance, and promote Willsboro Central School and its students; and to unite, inform and involve alumni and friends in fellowship and support of education.
ALUMNI OFFICERS AND CHAIRPERSONS
President…………………….Dale Wells
Vice President ………………Richard Blanchard 518-963-7055 richmad37@peoplepc.com
Treasurer…………………….Robin Pierce 518-963-7437 rapcpa@hughes.net
Secretary…………………….Bonnie King 518-963-4334
Immediate Past President…...George Ori, Jr. 518-963-7770 cuddles01@hughes.net
Banquet Liaison……………..Laura Marsha 518-963-7065 marhut@willex.com
Historian…………………….Janice Allen 518-963-8912 allens@willex.com
Internet Coordinator………...Bill Morgan 518-963-4386 morganwj@northcountrytechnology.com
Membership…………………Laura Marsha 518-963-7065 marhut@willex.com
Assistant Membership ………Bettie Lawrence 817-491-9697 Bettie1940@att.net
Memorial Coordinator………Janice Allen 518-963-8912 allens@willex.com
Newsletter…………………...Bettie Lawrence 817-491-9697 Bettie1940@att.net
Many thanks to these folks for volunteering their time. Many of them have done this, as well as having served in other offices, for a number of years. Be thinking of what you might be able to add to the organization and be willing to step up to the plate if asked to help in the future. The continuation of the WAA depends on YOU!!
THE PREZ SEZ
Spring has finally arrived in the North Country. The snow is slowly melting off the mountains, the streams are running full, the robins are looking for worms on the lawns, and mud abounds everywhere. At least the bugs haven't awakened yet. The planning for the annual banquet is in full swing and I will tell you that it’s looking like another great time. The one thing I have learned as president this year is this; the amount of work that Laura, Robin, Janice, and others put into this is amazing. They do this plus working multiple jobs and still being there for their families. When you see these dedicated people, thank them for what they do.
Now something that is important from the other life I lead. The towns of Willsboro and Essex now have a rapid response medic car thanks to a grant from the state. The "Medic 38" car is manned by volunteer EMT's from the towns and will respond day or night to any emergency. A little piece of mind for the people living in the country, and an amazing amount of dedication by the volunteers.
I hope to see everyone in June.
Be safe, Dale
NEWS FLASHES
News Flash #1. This is the BIG news flash!! The Willsboro Alumni Association now has its own web site with much help from Bill Morgan. We know there has been a good deal of trouble in the past getting the information, so with Bill’s help we have created our very own site. This is still going to be a work in progress, but if you know of anyone who would like to view the newsletter on line, or print out a reservation or membership form, please direct them to our website: http://www.WillsboroAlumni.com .
News Flash #2. The Alumni Board still needs to emphasize the fact that more help is needed with the Alumni Association. There are a couple of critical positions that have to be filled this year. We need someone to be Vice President and also someone to be Treasurer. Besides these officers, we still would like to create a new position and have a person who works at the school become an alumni-school contact. This person should be someone that will attend the 4-5 meetings per year to report on school needs and other news that might be available through the school.
News Flash #3. From the Plattsburgh Press Republican 3/30/2008…WCS started using Edline this school year in grades 7-12. “The students seem to love having instant access to their grades, said Superintendent Stephen Broadwell. “And parents appreciate being able to monitor their children’s grades much easier from home and computers.”
DUES
Membership dues should be sent to our Treasurer, Robin Pierce at WAA, PO Box 211, Willsboro, NY 12996. A printable membership form can be found on our web site.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS/DATABASE CORRECTIONS
Change of address or corrections to the database should be sent to Laura Marsha at marhut@willex.com or mailed to her at WAA, PO Box 211, Willsboro, NY 12996. Laura has been doing a great job with the database, but her work responsibilities have increased considerably and she is looking for someone to take this over. This person would need a working knowledge of the computer, but would not have to be living in Willsboro, this is something that can be done from home. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Laura and make her day!
NEWSLETTER
Information for the newsletter should be sent to Bettie Lawrence at Bettie1940@att.net or mailed to her at 14048 Fontana Road, Roanoke, TX 76262. And I might add that ANY and ALL alumni news would be great! It’s your N/L so if you have some interesting information you would like to share, we would be happy to include it.
2008 BANQUET
The alumni banquet is typically held the 4th Saturday in June. We try to coordinate the banquet with graduation, but in order to reserve a location we must make arrangements at least a year ahead of time. Unfortunately we don’t always know when graduation is going to be that early on. So far everything has always worked out, but there is a chance that at some point there will be a conflict and we will have to deal with that when it occurs. The 2008 banquet will be held on Saturday, June 28 at Cricket’s in Peru. Hospitality hour starts at 3pm and dinner is served at 5pm. Hospitality hour is a great time to meet and chat with those that we may not have seen for a looong time!
Our guest speaker this year will be Lori Lincoln Spooner, the newly elected supervisor for the Town of Willsboro. Lori grew up in Willsboro and graduated from Willsboro Central School in 1977. She attended SUNY Cobleskill and graduated in 1979 with an Associates degree in Dairy Science and then attended Clinton Community College graduating in 1991 with an Associates degree in Medical Laboratory Technology.
In late 1997 she moved to Northeast Pennsylvania for a better job opportunity and settled there for nine years. Her career experience widely expanded in Pennsylvania. She volunteered at The Muncy Historical Society and Museum, later serving on the Board of Directors, holding the position of secretary and later treasurer. She served on the board of The Lycoming County Farm Bureau, holding the position of secretary and also became the District 6 State Woman’s spokesperson for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau responsible to three counties. Lori worked for Alta Genetics as record’s manager for the live bull program and later changed jobs to work for Purina as a Dairy Feeds Specialist salesman. For her remaining years in Pennsylvania, she was employed by The Muncy Bank & Trust Company working her way up to Head Teller.
Due to a divorce and all that goes along with it, coupled with her aging parents and family in Willsboro, she decided to return home to her roots. Her brother will remember saying to her as they pondered the steps necessary to move her back home, “I do hope you won’t be too bored here in Willsboro after living away.” It has been a whirlwind of development in just one year of her return. She lost her Dad, has been remarried to her high school sweetheart, Gerald Spooner, and she managed all of this during a campaign for Town Supervisor of which she was successful. Lori wants her brother David to know that she is definitely NOT BORED!
Our MC this year will be Janice Allen. Janice is a 1951 graduate of Willsboro Central School and also graduated from Canton ATC in 1953. Janice returned to Willsboro, married Ross Allen and had four children, Cynthia, Sheila, Jim and Lawrence. She feels blessed to have seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Janice served as our local librarian at Paine Memorial Library for 30 years and retired in 2000. She remains active in the Willsboro community by volunteering in the many local groups that she enjoys. She is active in her church, the Willsboro United Methodist Church; High Peeks Hospice; The Willsboro Heritage Society; the Willsboro Alumni Association, Willsboro Visitors Center and serves as the Town Historian, along with other short term local projects.
Willsboro Central School started a new project last year called The Wall of Honor and is composed of names selected from WCS Alumni. Janice, along with Teresa Sayward and Ralph Marcotte made the first wall.
Janice enjoys doing many kinds of handwork and always keeps very busy. Along with her sister, Paula Calkins, she has enjoyed several trips within the United States and is looking forward to meeting many at the banquet.
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES
Each year special recognition is given to the classes celebrating their 25th or 50th anniversary. The members of those two classes are listed in the printed program. In addition to that, we try to honor classes that are celebrating a 5-year anniversary. In 2008 it will be any class that graduated in a year ending in a 3 or an 8. We will make every attempt possible to seat all of the attendees of that particular class together. Special recognition will be given to those classes celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversary.
On several occasions I have been asked who organizes a class reunion. That would be up to the class contact to do that. The Alumni Association only organizes the annual banquet. If classes would like to advertise in the spring or fall newsletter, we will be more than happy to do that for them providing they send their information in. If they need addresses of their classmates, Laura can give them the information that we have available. I hope this has answered some of your questions.
Robin Pierce would like any member of the class of 1983 to contact her so that she is able to coordinate things for that class. In the past we have not had a very good showing for members from the 25th anniversary class…Robin would like to change that around so do get in touch with her.
Members of the class of 1958 will be celebrating their 50th anniversary and plans have been made for a couple of get togethers. If anyone needs information on this, contact Bettie Lawrence for information. We would like to get our entire class together. There are some members that we have not been in contact with for many years. Please try and put Saturday, June 27, 2008 on your calendar as a date to renew some friendships and join us in our celebration. If there is something special that you would like to do, let Bettie know and she will do whatever possible to make sure that this happens!
ALUMNI NEWS
For quite some time we have been trying to work with the school to have a trophy case built to hold many of the old trophies that are in storage. Sadly this is not going to happen. State regulations prohibit the ideas that were presented because there is no way to secure the case. Besides money that the Alumni Association has set aside for this project, Tom Spierto’s class and Janice Allen’s class, also contributed. If anyone has any ideas on what could be done with the money set aside for the trophy case, please let one of the officers know or bring it up at the banquet at annual meeting time.
I have not heard from anyone with news of their families, their accomplishments, etc., so don’t have anything for this N/L. Please email me with some news so that we can let other alumni know what has been going on with you.
CLASS CONTACTS
If you are wanting to know who represents your class, please refer to the web site for this information. If there are any corrections or additions, please send them to Laura Marsha at marhut@willex.com. There are just too many to continuously reprint them in the newsletter each time.
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