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What a special event! For the second time, our ever-aging class has pulled off a spectacular birthday gathering. The weekend event had four components. On Friday, an informal luncheon took place at (where else) the Wagon Wheel, in Gill -- fabled weekly eatery favorite of TJ Strahan and Rich Shortell. A couple dozen classmates arrived to kick off the fun weekend. The group included 4 classmates from Florida and one from California - a long range group indeed.

Also on Friday, a small group invaded Gail Rogers Callahan's Franklin Street home for hands-on lessons in silk tie-dyeing. Gail is well known as the Kangaroo Dyer (www.kangaroodyer.com).

In the evening, Fran Sirum working closely with the Greenfield Elks Lodge hosted a gala happy hour where more than 70 classmates came together for conversation, appetizersand drinks. It's a great opportunity to have those who cannot make the 'main event' still get a chance to join in on the informal fun. Classmates Peggy Kingsbury Carey, Jim MacKenzie, and Mo Taylor who were only able to attend the Friday night event, were among the scores of classmates spending hours together at the Elks.

Saturday, classmates gathered enmass at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. The infield had a large white tent awaiting us for the main luncheon event. Over 100 classmates and friends were there to enjoy and reminisce. Many noted that this was the first time since high school that they had been back to the Fairgrounds itself!

In reality, we're more than halfway through the class as a total group moving into our 70s. There's a small group of us "old timers" who have been 71 for a while already on one end of the curve -- and then there's Ellen Morrissey Kelton. As always, Ellen brings up the rear and will be the final classmate to turn 70 on January 31, 2018.

Both Friday and Saturday nights had numerous smaller get togethers here and there throughout the county as old friends reunited once again. A fantastic weekend was had by all - big thanks to Event Chairman Rob Pratt and his right hands: Deb Bruce Johnson and Susan Carey Duckworth. Numerous other classmates lent a hand inplanning, lining up the secondary venues and decorating the tent. These friends include: Karen Hardaker, Phyllis Stone, Beth Anderson Roy, Jane LaPointe Kosterman, TJ Strahan, and Fran Sirum. But most of all, a huge round of applause to Fred "Pete" Steiner for the Fair event. See the Pete tribute below!

pete

Frederick George ("Pete) Steiner II

OUR FRANKLIN COUNTY FAIR HOST

The choice of the Franklin County Fairgrounds as the venue for our luncheon has two significant facets. Classmate Fred “Pete” Steiner is completing the fourth year of his six-year term as Fair President and Director. Pete went above and beyond to provide our class with a very special birthday venue. Secondly, 2017 is the 100th anniversary of the distinctive Fairgrounds Entrance Towers. They served as the theme for the floats in the annual parade.

Pete also made a generous contribution to the class, which covered a significant part of the cost for the infield tent we used for the luncheon.

While Pete is quick to credit his staff, all of the Franklin Country Agricultural Society members and Directors, and the members of the Greenfield Fire Department under the leadership of Chief Bobby Strahan (son of TJ Strahan), it is clear that Pete's leadership has brought a revitalization to the Fairgrounds that deserves recognition.

A conversation with Pete reveals a wealth of detail for Fair history and current accomplishments.

National Recognition: Working with the State Historical Society, architects, and contractors in 2009 and 2010, Pete and committee co-chair Linda Slattery spearheaded the successful effort to achieve National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) designation for the Round House and Fairgrounds.
Opportunities for Youth: Pete has worked tirelessly to expand youth involvement in the Fair and 4-H activities. The 2016 Franklin County Fair poster was designed by seven-year-old Parker Beauregard, a student at Four Corners School and had the distinction of winning not only first place, out of 90 entries, from the Massachusetts Fair Association but also the coveted Judge's Choice Award in a competition that included all of the large Massachusetts Fairs. Parker was honored at a special Four Corners assembly and served as Grand Marshall of the 2016 parade.
Venue Promotion: Many consider the Fairgrounds as an Autumn-only event facility, but actually it's a busy place during the entire warm-weather season. In addition to the Franklin Country Fair, the Fairgrounds is the home base for the April Home Show, Green River Fest campers, Good Samaritan campers, Relay for Life, various dog shows, the Beer Fest featuring Lefties local brewery, and the Massachusetts Dairy Show. In addition. the Blues/Brew/Barbecue, formerly held at Beacon Field, and the Good Sam Massachusetts Lobsterfest are two newly added events. And there’s plans for even more events.

Hats off and a huge thank you to Pete Steiner for playing an integral role in not only our 70th birthday party, but in adding to the history of Greenfield itself!

From 'back in the day' there's a bit of lecturing going on by one of our faculty. In a baseball cap on the right is none other than Jim Fotopulos, GHS '54, and chairman of their upcoming 65th Reunion in 2019. That's Jim's son in the burgundy jacket beside him. Mr. Fotopulos was a social studies teacher at GHS back during our tenure, and is one of the very few remaining faculty from then. If you do the math, you realize that Jim graduated from GHS the same year most of us STARTED school. Great to see him amongst us and doing well.

A healthy gand of classmates arrived at this wonderful local spot in scenic Gill for Friday's luncheon. As always, their homemade ice cream was a big it, so much so that Susan Carey Duckworth started her meal with a hot fudge sundae!

Some of the lunchers. Marsha Drew Bittner, Ellen Morrissey Kelton, Shirley Brightman Nelson, TJ Strahan, Karen Hardaker Nuckols, and Dave Atessi in the right front.

Can't quite explain why Steve Garanin was the recipient of elk antlers at a Friday evening dinner in Brattleboro, but here he is.

Oops! I don't have any photos from the Elks. Can you help us out? In the meantime, a few Fair placeholders.

The 70th Birthday Luncheon

Saturday morning blessed us all with absolutely grand weather - broken clouds, light breeze and not too chilly or too warm. It was a great time to convene outside the big white tent on the infield of the Franklin Couty Fair and reconnect with scores of old friends before heading inside for a sumptous buffet lunch. Here we are gearing up.

Andrea and Jeff Burgess with Deb Bruce Johnson and Susan Carey Duckworth. Sadly, Jeff's ice cream tatoo didn't win an art or food prize at the fair!

Nancy Wissman Franklin, Keith Franklin, Suzanne and Paul Schmidt, and Shirley Brightman Nelson

So about now you're wondering if we ever got inside the tent and got down to eating, right? We did, and here it is!

General Chairman of the Birthday Weekend Rob Pratt espousing on the significance of a plate

George Roy, Shirley Brightman Nelson, Susan Carey Duckworth Beth Anderson Roy and Pete Steiner

A vast array of classmates and flowers including Paul Schmidt, Jim Winn, Greg Isles, Joan Denault Meissner, and Laura Jenkins Leonard

Carol McMahon Hartley, Ronnie Sassaville Burns, Linda Wolanske, Carla Graveline Bernier facing.

Carol McMahon Hartley, Ronnie Sassaville Burns, Linda Wolanske, Carla Graveline Bernier, and Sue Murdock Lutz

Ellen Morrissey Kelton, Carol McMahon Hartley, Ronnie Sassaville Burns and Trish Newton

Entrance to the historic Roundhouse. It is the oldest building at the Fairgrounds. And the Franklin County Fair is the longest continuous running Fair in the United States (1848). The Roundhouse is undergoing restoration and accepting donations at

You can read more about the Fair and its history, as well as see lots of fairground photos at:

Phyllis Stone, Bill Hamilton and birthday girl Sue Hamilton with Janice Benjamin