Sparks & Reed High Class of ‘76

A great time was had by all!  It was a perfect night to have a backyard party at the Rossi’s home.  The weather was perfect, the food was perfect, the drink was perfect, the people from both Reed High School and Sparks High School were perfect, oh and one person from Wooster (our host Nick)!  We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect night.

There were about 30 classmates, from near and far!  Most of the classmates were from right here in town, and we were so amazed that we never run into each other…..so having these get togethers is a good thing!  And then we had classmates from Arizona, Southern California and our rival city Las Vegas, come all the way back home to meet up with everyone.

Just to highlight a few…..George Martinez wasn’t planning on coming due to career obligations, but then he worked it so that his company would send him to Reno on a business trip.  It was a great surprise to see him walking through the door.  Gregg Stokes has never been able to attend any of our reunions and now I think we have him hooked and he doesn’t want to miss another!  Jenny Imswiler also made the trip up from far away (Southern California) and was mixing the trip for the reunion with a trip out to the Playa for Burning Man!  She had such a great time, she even called Michelle Pitts in Arizona and told her that she must come to the next gathering!  Bruce Webber grew up from babyhood with Ali Noble and the two of them came together.  It was so great to see the both of them.  The twins, Pam and Patty, had so much fun on the Mystery Bus Trip to Virginia City last year, they just wanted to play another game so they could win AGAIN (they teamed up to win the Scavenger Hunt in VC).  A few people got hooked on the year books that were laid out and there was quite some laughter coming from that area during the party.  Kelly Wheeler had a previous engagement, but was adamant on being at the party….so he arrived late, but stayed until the end!

Even though dancing and Karaoke were on the party schedule, we all had such a wonderful time catching up with each other, those two events went to the way side.  The evening ended with some long goodbyes and promises to stay in touch.  In fact, Sandy Lockwood is hosting a party and is planning on inviting all the ladies over to her home in September. 

So for those of you who were unable to make it to this year’s gathering, we hope to see you at the next event.  The planning team (Debbie Lopez Rossi, Vicki Joslin Harmon, Lisa DeRicco Redmon Gay, Daylene Dayton Hendricks, John Leach, and Leslie Pickering Jacques) look forward to putting on another event next year and hope to see more of you then.  But in the meantime, stay in touch, play safe, and enjoy life!

Those in attendance:  Cindy Allen Cutler, Sherie Rich, Becky Moore, Shawna Rae Wolford Allen, Stephen Marcoe, Gregg Stokes, Mike Garcia, Vicki Joslin Harmon, Alison Noble, Bruce Webber, Jenny Imswiler, Lee ann Ewell Depoali, Kim Hudson-Bacon, Sandy Lockwood Malyszka, Dave Strickler, George Martinez, Patty Civiak, Pam Hay, Jennifer Haffke, Rick Holland, Ronda Miller, Bob Cox, Tina Benedetti, Scott Puckett, Diana Nelms Hutson, Tracy Nolan Kuykendall, Mary O’Hair, Danny Paul, Kelly Wheeler, Debbie Lopez Rossi, John Leach, Leslie Pickering Jacques.  (If I missed anyone, its because you didn’t sign the contact information list when you walked in the door!)

Vicki & Leslie

Old friends from Sparks High School and Reed High School class of ‘76 all got together on August 29th at the home of Debbi Rossi.  We’ve got a few photos to post from the event, sounds like everyone had a great time!  Thanks to Greg Stokes for sending us the photos.

Click here to see all the photos and save one to your computer.

If you missed this party, don’t miss the next one.  Send us your email address so we can add you to the list.  If nothing else, you want to know when they are happening.

If you have recent photo of yourself, or you and your family, please send those to us as well.  We’d love to start posting photos of classmates on this site.  And, we love your comments, keep them coming!

Okay, put our walker down, put your old “Waffle Stompers” on and get ready to Dance!  Old timers dance for the Sparks and Reed High Class of ‘76 and your invited classmates.  If you missed the reunion, or the 50th birthday bash you can make it up at this dance.  Don’t let another excuse keep you from the family members of your class that help shape who you are today.

Host:	SHS and RHS Class of ‘76
Location:	Debbie Rossi’s house
When:	Saturday, August 29, 6:00PM    Add to my Outlook Calendar
Getting together with our high school classmates is always a lot of fun so we’re doing it again this summer!  Why wait to meet every 5 or 10 years?  Last August about 50 of us celebrated our 50th birthday with a mystery bus tour to Virginia City, and dinner and dancing.  We all had a blast and you can check out the pictures at our website, http://sparks76.com.  This time we’ll meet for a shared dinner at Debbie Rossi’s house, and dance outdoors.  The cost will be next to nothing, basically food or drinks to share with the crowd.  Debbie can accomodate up to 200 people so there’s room for everyone who likes to live life to the full.  We’re only young once so let’s enjoy it while we can! RSVP by August 1st and tell us how many are in your group. We are sending this evite to all the email addresses we have, but you may know some addresses which we don’t.  Please forward this evite to any and all former classmates.  Help spread the word!  And be sure to check out http://sparks76.com for pictures and stories, and to add your own thoughts.  Sparks High grads please RSVP to Vicki Joslin Harmon ktlvickiharmon at yahoo dot com Reed High grads should RSVP to Leslie Pickering Jacques lesliej at unr dot edu

Received some photos of some babes that went to Hawaii for their 50th birthday.  One commented they felt like teenagers.  Not sure what she meant by that, but I have my guesses.  You know the saying - “what happens in Hawaii stays in Hawaii”.

So there was some excitement to this story, as I asked that they send the bikini pictures.  To my surprise, I was told there were some bikini pics, and that they were going to send them.  Now, I wasn’t sure if they would be as good as the bikini pictures from Senior Cut Day in 1976, since we are maturing, but then they could be better, since we have matured.

It was a real surprise when an email arrived with the bikini pictures.  I thought wow, I can’t believe they actually did it.  Okay, sometimes I’m a bit naive, and this was one of them.  I was the goat in this joke.  And happy to see the good natured bikini pictures of some of Sparks High School’s Class of 76. 

We were a fun group of kids, weren’t we!

One of my old friends - Pat McGill gave me this photo.  It’s special because it has faces that I remember all the way back to Kindergarten, as well as some that I took photos with at the 30 year reunion, and even some from our 50th Bash.

It’s also special because Pat is one of my new neighbors.  Friends, all the way from Sparks, Nv to Seattle, WA.  I feel like Mr. Rogers.

Do you have any photos from your old classes?  Send us a copy, so we can post them for everyone to see.  I’m sure someone will be thrilled to see those old photos.

Classmates in this photo - Richie Christianson, Cindy White, Todd Hodgen, Susan Freeman, Mark Nessbitt, Karen Tibbits, Pat McGill, Bill D?, Brian Harding, Janie Grunsted, Randy McDonald, Candi Chazel, Steve Workman, Terry Zigler, Mike Macheski, Diana Nelms, Vanessa Call, Randy Wheeler, Jerry Myers, Karen Wilson, Brad Yardborough, Heather Mulford, Ron Moschetti, Jim Peterson, Hal Hurst, Melody Hunt, John Bertsh, Pam Meed, David Crawford.

Double click on the photo to see its full size.  There are some cute kids there! 

BTW, if you are in contact with any of these classmates, be sure to tell them to go look at their class picture here on this site.

No question, the 50th Bash was a great time for everyone.  I’m glad I didn’t miss this opportunity to say hello to a ton of old friends.  Did I say old?  Check out the photos to see who you recognize!

Got photos - give em up please!

Click here to see all the photos and save one to your computer.

I saw an old friend with a page on Classmates, so I just had to go look at their page.  Of course they had some photos, so snoopy me just had to go look at what they had.  It was a beautiful thing.  What I found was an old picture of Terri Skinner and Dianne Weiss - two old great friends that seemed inseparable in school.

I think most people know that we lost Terri to a brain tumor.  For me, she was a great kid.  I haven’t seen her really since we were kids, but I’m sure many of you remember her for being an outstanding woman, as you remained in contact with her, and remained friends.

Dianne says she misses Terri every day, a testament to the friends we meet in our childhood, who remain a part of our lives forever.

We have lost others in our class.  I hope if you have a photo of one of our lost friends you will share it with us, along with a note that we can use to add to the story.  Please leave your personal comments about Terri in the comments section.  Share those great memories, in memory.

BTW, were we really that young once?

I don’t feel it, really I don’t.  But, these young kids we work with these days sure think we are over the hill.  Maybe we begin to think that we really are that old after hearing the opinions of others.  I hope not.

Today, rummaging around the internet, I went to the Sparks High Web site, and clicked on the Reunion page.  What did I find - the Sparks High School Class of 1958 is having their 50 year reunion.  Imagine - being out of school for 50 years.  Could that ever be possible?  That must make them what - 78 years old?

something tells me none of their teachers are around.  Unless they lived to be over 100 years old. 

I read their advertisement for the retirement, and something hit me.  The organizer’s last name was Sbragia.  Sbragia, wasn’t that a street near where I grew up?  You mean there was someone with that last name that actually lived in Sparks.  Imagine having a Sparks street named after your family.  That would be pretty cool I suspect.  Did any of our classmates have streets named after members of their family?

Makes me wonder - is there a Teddy Baer Street in Sparks.  How about a Royal Brooks, or Salvatore Street, or Weiss street, or how about Garro Blvd?  Maybe there is one out there, if you know of it, leave a comment so we can all be amazed and proud.

I will end this blog with one wish - I hope to see all of you for our 50th Reunion.  If for some reason I don’t make it, will you put my name in for a Street in Sparks - somewhere that my former classmates can walk down, to reminisce about the great times we had growing up together in the town of Sparks, Nv.

We found these photos from the Sparks High Class of 76 30 year runion.  Enjoy them.

If you have any from previous reunions for Sparks or Reed, please let us know, we’d love to post them.  If you want any of these photos in their original size - let us know.  We have not cropped any of them.

These photos will change every 5 seconds, or click on it to change it right away.

Click here to see all the photos and save one to your computer.

While scavenging around Virginia City to collect items, 20 old friends from Sparks and Reed High School class of ‘76 ran into each other for an old time photo.  These damsels in distress (hah!) showing off their sexy legs, while their gentlemen (gentlemen?) in waiting hover around with their pistols and rifles waiting to their personal selection are having way too much fun!

Legs!  Cleavage!  Busts!  What more could a cowboy from the Virginia City mines want!  There seemed to be way to much fun in Virginia City during the mystery tour!

BTW - how many people can you name?  Has mental pause kicked in and you don’t recognize any of them, or are you a star and know who eveyrone is?