***In Sunnier Times- When The North Adamsville Class of 1964 50^th Reunion Rose Was In Bloom

 

 

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman   

Introduction

If anybody, if I can, say anything about Sam Lowell it is that he is intrepid. Sam, an old corner boy known to me from the streets of North Adamsville, specifically from standing alongside of him on the corner of Main and Hancock “up the Downs” in front of Salducci’s Pizza Parlor, “holding up the wall” as we called it all through high school. A while back, maybe a few months now after we got back contact through his work in publicizing the 50^th anniversary North Adamsville Class of 1964 reunion after not having seen each other for several years, I told a rather long story about how he, via the magic of the Internet, in the fall of 2013 got in touch with a woman classmate, Melinda Loring, on the website established by the Class of 1964 reunion committee. Well with that contact one thing or another happened and he wound up having a short, painfully short, fling with her which broke apart for some reasons that he never could understand and some like that fact that he was “married” which he could. Short or not, that affair wound up breaking up in an acrimonious way with bad blood, very bad blood with ugly words and vows never to speak to each other again, between the two before the flame flickered out (those vows not a good thing since each had planned to go to the reunion, initially they were to go together).

Nevertheless Sam, who also wound up drafting himself onto that reunion committee early on, continues for his own arcane reasons to spread the word about the reunion, encouraging one and all to get on board. Here is the odd thing though due to that bad blood parting between them Sam has no intention of going to that reunion, although she will be going since unlike Sam she has gone to several previous ones. That is why Sam rightly deserves the designation “intrepid” although I think he is foolish to keep touting the event if he is not going. By the way this little piece will not find its way onto the class website so nobody should know yet that he is not going. Here is something that is no secret I never had any intention of going so I don’t care who knows that fact or when. But enough of this. Sam wanted me to write up a little something for him about his work to get people to the reunion. Here goes, and thanks Sam for your efforts whatever I think of their worth.

 

This is genesis:

As I noted in my introduction in the late fall of 2013 Sam Lowell was getting antsy about putting something together, or helping to put something together, for the 50^th reunion of our class, the North Adamsville (Massachusetts) Class of 1964. This was something of a surprise to me since a while before, maybe a year before, we had both mentioned that we had not gone to the 40th anniversary reunion when somehow through the then current technologic wizardry that reunion committee was able to send invitations to both of us. In that intervening time Sam had softened his stance after a few visits to the old town, and a couple of family deaths, and he kind of dragged me along in his enthusiasm, although not enthusiastic enough to attend the reunion, even though it had been a long time since we were close, corner boy close in high school days.

So Sam started putting out feelers, logically starting from the names he remembered from the 40^th reunion committee. That logic was aided by the fact that one of the committee was a woman, Sonia Loft, who also happened to be the secretary to the headmaster of the high school, and when he checked that lead it turned out she was still working at that position. He thereafter sent the following e-mail gathered from the North Adamsville High School website (praise be, Internet):     

 

“Hi Sonia Loft (sorry I do not know your married name if you are married but on the NAHS website you are listed under that name)- If I recall from a flyer I received then you and Jerry Doherty, who I remember you dated in high school and who lived next door to my grandparents, the Rileys, over on Young Street, if you don’t recall who I am without recourse to the Magnet [class yearbook],were the central organizers for the 40^th reunion of the NAHS Class of 1964 in 2004 so I wanted to contact you and see if there are any plans afoot for the 50^th next year. If so I would be happy to work on the organizing committee. If not, are you up for forming a committee to do that organizing? If we can get five or six people from the area to meet that would get us started. You are listed as the Headmaster’s   secretary at NAHS. That is invaluable. Also below is a note I want to send around to various sites (NA Alumni, Classmates, Facebook, etc.) once I know what is up in order to get a feel for whether we would have enough attendees to make it worthwhile.  Thanks for your time. Later Sam Lowell–samuellowell86@comcast.net”  

As a result of that e-mail Sonia sent Sam her private telephone number at NAHS and urged him to call her for information about a reunion committee that was then just being formed. He did so and was given information about a soon occurring meeting of the committee and, more importantly (or as turned out more ominously as later events testified to), information about a new class website that was being constructed by Donna Wells, the class vice president back in the day:

“Hi Donna- I talked to Sonia Loft today informing her that I want to be on the reunion committee. She informed me that there is a meeting next week, December 5th, in Rutland. I will attend (from the North Adamsville64 website it looks right now like there are only women on the committee so I will help balance things out) if you could please send the time and address and anything else needed I would appreciate it. Also I had set up a Facebook website North Adamsville Class of 1964 Reunion before I found out from Sonia today that a committee had already been formed so perhaps we could link this site with that one since many people use Facebook who might not know this site. I will update the new information about this site there now- Later Sam Lowell- samuellowell86@comcast.net

https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Adamsville-High-School-Class-Of-1964-Reunion/547771395433314”  

That done Sam started working the common North Adamsville-related sites that he found through Google looking to see what the interest level was and for volunteers. Here is an example of the basic e-mail pitch: 

 

“Hi Jim - I am starting to try to get people together to organize a 50th reunion (Ouch!) –Don’t ask me why but I am feeling some old time breeze coming from Adamsville Bay smacking me in the face to help put this together. Are you up for it? Would you attend? Are you still in contact with 1964 NAHS in your social network (nice term, huh)? Let them know what's afoot -Right now this is just in the startup phase but we want to see who is in, and who wants to help organize this thing. I have set up an event page on Facebook- North Adamsville  High School Class of 1964 Reunion-Check it out- Later Sam Lowell- Sam Lowell- samuellowell86@comcast.net ”

 Once the class website (NA64.com, easy right) had been set up with a complete class list and space for individual profile pages Sam put the following pitch on his profile page:     

 

“Hi Class of 1964- I would like to help get people together to organize our 50th reunion (Ouch!) –Don’t ask me why but I am feeling some old time breeze in my bones coming from the tepid waters of Adamsville Bay, coming from the dusty old tree-named, Indian-named (oops, Native American-named) streets, and ocean-named streets of our town smacking me in the face. Coming too from some old bleeding Raider red and black nostalgia that I have not, well, have not felt since the day in June 1964 when we threw our collective caps in the air at Veterans Stadium and went out to face the world, a world that we didn’t create and were not asked about but which we faced as best we could. Coming, hell, from mind’s memory of steamy summers at Adamsville Beach, HoJo’s ice cream, deathly school lunches, running around tracks and on the streets in shorts subject to the whims of irate drivers and old lady pedestrians, also irate, cheering myself silly at those titanic football battles, especially senior year, on those granite-grey leafy autumn afternoons (nice, huh).

And too reflecting on that fresh clean breathe of the “newer world” that was in the air just then. (As I write this on November 22, 2013, no need to ask what happened on that date or where we were not with this audience, overwhelmed by that little sadness that our dreams, our outrageous over-sized youthful dreams, might have been shortened up just a bit, that that day some portentous ebb of history would hold us back.)   

All this telling me to help put this reunion idea together since this is effectively our last shot at coming together under the sign of a significant anniversary. To see our respective old gangs collectively for probably the last time that the clan would be able to gather on a significant occasion what with death, disability, forgetfulness and just plain fright at the idea of a next time taking their toll. That the next significant milestone, the 75^th , assuming that the mania for oddball celebration years like 30^th , 45^th , and 60^th , or worst 38^th ,48^th or 68^th has no fully taken root by then we would all be at or approaching ninety-three. A very scary thought, the thought of holding a reunion at some assisted living site or nursing home. No thank you. Now or never.

Are you up for it? Would you attend? Are you still in contact with 1964 NAHS in your “social network” (nice term, huh, formerly known as friends and acquaintances)? Let them know what's afoot – As well as this site I have also set up an event page on Facebook - North Adamsville High School Class of 1964 Reunion- and other sites to reach out. Later Sam Lowell”

And Sam was not finished as he set up event pages and made contacts on various sites. Here is an early example:

 

“First Notice Updated (Made Simple I Hope- Just Click Below) –Save The Date -Spread The Word To Any Class Of 1964 People You Are In Contact With

 

Fellow classmates from the North Adamsville High School Class of 1964- On behalf of the Reunion Committee I invite you go to the newly established class website- click here-

 

http://www.northadamsville 64.com/class_index.cfm

 

-to find out more information about the planned 50^th anniversary class reunion. The reunion is scheduled for the weekend of September 20^th 2014 at the Best Western Adams Inn in North Adamsville (adjacent to the Neptune Bridge and river if you haven’t been to NA lately). We also invite you to join the website, create your own profile page, and share whatever you want to share with your fellow classmates. Sorry for the generic nature of this message. Sorry also if you received this message more than once if you belong to various NA-related sites.”      

And Sam individualized some information as well:

 

“Jim- Thanks for note- I noticed that you are not on our class website yet-here is the link-

http://www.northadamsville64.com/class_index.cfm

 

It is user-friendly. People are starting to join as we spread the news. If you are in contact with any NA64ers let them know. Are you retired yet? Sorry to hear about your medical problems. I just wrote to Joe Zaras who had sent me an e-mail which ended with “getting old sucks”- I said you will get no argument from me there, brother. Thanks for offer of help and since you live in Morristown as we get things firmed up and need help I will call on you. Later Sam- BTW some very nice pictures of you and yours where was that last one taken, Venice? They should go on your personal profile on NA64 to show that you have done well in life. Later Sam Lowell- Sorry about the football mix-up I was working from memory (ouch!) [Sam had assumed that Jim a big husky kid had been on the football team.] “  

And then as people came onto the website Sam became the “unofficial” class-greeter:

“Hi- Welcome to our class website-

For those who have, uh, lost, misplaced or sold off their Magnet [class yearbook] to the highest bidder here is a link to the Timothy Clark Public Library site so you can take that big trip down memory lane. By the way (BTW, okay) the theme for this reunion is “Try To Remember” so everybody better check that site out. Spread the word to others from NA64 who you are in contact with and sent any information that might help us to find missing classmates. Yes, and write stuff, put photos and video on your site too.    

https://archive.org/stream/magnet1964nort#page/n5/mode/2up”

 

And so Sam went along (with the Melinda Loring affair deep in the background sometimes making him work harder, sometimes acting as a deterrent ) and winding up with this short piece encouraging classmates to attend (done even as he was telling me at Jimmy’s that he was not going for the reasons listed above. And I was telling him to run for cover as fast as possible):

“On Freaking Out About Going To The Reunion

Hi-I have recently been reaching out to classmates on the site expressing a hope that they attend the reunion in September. I have met a certain resistance in some quarters so I am here as a pitchman. Some classmates have pleaded distance, infirmities and other commitments. I have no quarrel with them. Who I am trying reach here are those kindred who are scared, okay, okay afraid to go to the reunion. You know who are worrying about what to say to people they have not seen in a long time, about giving the details of their lives which seem kind of like they haven’t done anything once they have spelled it out, or about trying to avoid certain classmates who inflicted some ancient [or modern] hurts on them.

You are not alone. Although I am more than happy to write ten- thousand written words without working up a sweat on whatever subject is at hand, if you can believe this, I am a shy, very private person otherwise. I am, like those classmates, scared to death of actually going to the reunion. This will be my first reunion so I have not seen almost everybody who is going for 50 years. Worse, worst of all, worse than being scared of not being able to carry on a conversation, not remembering somebody I was life and death buddies with back then is that I can’t dance. Since this is a confessional age I freely admit I have two left-feet. A definite wall-flower guy. We are having dancing and a DJ and everything. I can feel my hands getting clammy already.  What, if unlike back in the day, somebody asks me to dance. Oh poor partner shoes, shins and who knows what else. And you think you have problems.

But hear me out. This is our 50th anniversary reunion. Realistically for those of us who have survived thus far this is the last time short of some assisted living common room or nursing home day room we will be able to do this event standing up. Or close to it. So think very hard about attending this reunion and remember there will be at least one other person in that huge room who will be scared too. Later Sam Lowell”