LHS Beach Gathering 2016

All Lakenheath Lancer alumni are welcome to join our gathering in Hermosa Beach, CA, October 27 - 31, 2016. 

We'll hang out at the beach, walk up to the pubs and generally have a great time. There's no registration fee for this event, but we do ask for a donation to help cover food and drinks.

Call the Sea Sprite directly to reserve your room (310-376-6933). Mention that you are with the Lakenheath Reunion for a 15% discount. This is a dive hotel, but it is affordable and the location is great--right on the beach.

We have the Beach Cottage reserved as a central gathering place. This is a low-key opportunity to hang out with others and/or do your own thing. Bike on the beach, see a show at the Comedy and Magic Club (a block away) or play golf at the Westchester Golf Course (10 miles away). Grab a few of your friends and join us!

LHS Beach Gathering on Facebook

Lakenheath Lancer Gathering in San Antonio - April 2015

Lancers from the 70's had a great time in San Antonio over the weekend of 4-5 April. You can see the photos here.

Lakenheath HS Reunion 2013

JC Clemons rocks his readers.

JC working on letting everyone know what a great time we had. The Carols--Knight and Day--in the house.

Carolyn, Carol, JC, Gene, Bridget

Carolyn, Carol, Ann and Pete on the beach

I want that shot!

I want that shot too!

The Strand, Hermosa Beach

Bridget's smile - then and now

Bridget on the left, Carolyn on the right (bottom photo in the yearbook)

Blake, Cathy, Darryl

Carol

Kelly's room got TP'd

JC, Louise, Carolyn, Cindy, Rudy, Lisa, Blake, Bridget, Carol

Louise

Louise and Lisa

Cindy, Blake, Louise, Lisa, Bridget, Carol

Lakenheath Reunion 2013

The Lakenheath HS Reunion 2013 is in Hermosa Beach, CA ~ 31 Oct 2013 - 3 Nov 2013.  Attendees are as follows:

Dave Adams '79
Louise Arbogast '79
Michael Black '80
Gene Boyd '77
Darryl Bryant '80
Blake (McBride) Canady '78
JC Clemmons '77
Meg Costello Armstrong '75
Carol De Runtz Day '78
Linda Day Madril '76
Lisa de la Cruz '77
Marcos de la Cruz '79
Carol Guerra Knight '78
Cathy Hanson '81
Joel Hile '76
Carolyn Hovanec Lalos '78
Terry Nix '77
Pete Pramis '78
Kelly Russell '77
Cindy Strasters '77
Rudy Thornton '79
Kerry VanCura '86
Bridget Wall Gordan '78
Portia Webb '80

If you're an LHS alum (even if you didn't graduate), and you'd like to join us, please e-mail lakenheath77@gmail.com.  Cheers!

Lakenheath High School Reunion 2013: Southern California

The facts must be faced, so here are the facts.  Southern California is expensive.  It's an expensive place to live, to drive, to eat, and for all I know, even the funeral homes charge more here.  There's a reason there has never been a Lakenheath High School reunion in Los Angeles.  This place is bloody expensive.

Yet, the inexorable call of the Pacific woos us and seeks to pacify our woes.  Where else can one plan a reunion at the end of October and feel reasonably assured that the weather will be good?  (That's a rhetorical question, so pipe down with your saucy answer.)

Here's the deal:  We found a cute, funky dive right on the beach.  It's got a pool and grills and everything we need to have a swell time.

The Dates:  Thursday, October 31 - Sunday, November 3, 2013.

The Place:  The Sea Sprite Motel, 1016 The Strand, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254.  Here's a link to their web site.

The Sea Sprite is about 7 miles south of LAX.

How to Reserve a Room:  Call 310-376-6933.  Reserve your room, then mail a check (50% deposit) within the next ten days. They will let you know what amount you need to send.  Mention "Lakenheath Reunion" to receive a 15% discount.

Room Number Information--Part 1:  The 'Beach House' location has been reserved.  The building to the north of the Beach House has two lower rooms (#21, #22) and two upper rooms (#27, #28) facing the sand.  The lower rooms have a patio area that is contiguous with the Beach House, so it would be great to have this additional real estate.  This building has additional rooms with limited/no views (#20, #23, #25, #26-34).

Room Number Information--Part 2:  The main building is in an "L" shape, and the short part of the "L" has two rooms with windows onto the sand: #1 and #5.  These rooms have a kitchen area, fridge and microwave (well, #1 does...that's the one I looked at.  Might want to confirm same is true for #5).  The long part of the "L" has rooms overlooking the sand with the patio and the pool in the foreground.  Call and ask for more information on these.

Thursday, October 31, 2013:  Arrival.  Check in. Molloy's Irish Pub is close by, though I haven't checked it out yet.  It's All Hallows Eve, and the sprites and spirits will show up accordingly.

Friday, November 1:  If you didn't show up yesterday, we have been waiting for you and will be happy to greet you today.  Settle in, hug your friends, get acquainted with new ones.  Dinner plans are under construction.

Saturday, November 2:  See above.

Sunday, November 3:  Parting is such sweet sorrow, said Mr. Shakespeare.  But Lancers will continue to find each other all over the world, and we expect the joy will continue in 2014.

Please send an e-mail to lakenheath77@gmail.com if you plan to attend.  At this point, there is no registration fee to attend this reunion.  However, we are looking into the possibility of a group dinner at a restaurant on Saturday night (there's a place right next to the motel), so we may be asking you to send a check for that.  We'll do our best to keep the costs down.

Let me know if you have questions or comments.  See you soon, I hope.

-Kelly

LHS Reunion 2012

LHS Reunion 2012 4-8 October 2012 Marriott Downtown Atlanta 160 Spring Street NW Details are on Facebook. Not a member of Facebook? Leave a comment here and we will get the details to you.

We raised just over $850 to help with TJ Morin's burial costs. RIP TJ---you will be missed.

LHS Reunion 2008 in the STL

Here are a few photos from the reunion:


Valerie Rogers, Lisa de la Cruz, Sean Spicka, Phil Mason, Mike Mason


Scott Harville, Mike Jester


Phil Mason, Scott Harville, Rick Zarder


Lisa de la Cruz, Marcos de la Cruz


Mike Mason, Dean Baines, Scott Harville, Rick Zarder, JC Clemons


Rick Zarder, Dave Jester, Scott Harville & son






Valerie Rogers


Lisa de la Cruz, Jeanine Courtney, Kelly Russell


JC Clemons





Mike Mason, Kelly Russell, Dean Baines, Scott Harville, Rick Zarder, JC Clemons, Lisa de la Cruz


Mike Mason, Phil Mason, Scott Harville, Rick Zarder

2008 Reunion in St. Louis

News from Phil Mason '78: "We are looking at July 31 - August 3, 2008, at The Millennium Hotel in St. Louis, MO. The hotel rate will be $129.00 per night.

The Cardinals will be in town and I am putting together several entertainment options for all of us to chose from once we are there. I have already booked one of the ballrooms on Friday night for dinner and dancing. I will, with input from all of you, put together the baddest ass collection of songs that should keep you dancing throughout the night.

What I need from each of you is to send this out to all former students regardless of the year they graduated or went to Lakenheath. The hotel has blocked only 30 rooms and will add to that on a first come first serve basis. I am putting the contract together and will have the booking code in the next couple of days."

As I get more information, I'll post it here. -Kelly

More Reunion Photos

Finally - some brains in DC!


Kim Zeier, Donna Lopez Powers, Denise Herrera, Cathy Gray, Lee Herrera


Cathy Gray Hillman, her husband Jim, and JC Clemons.


Lee Herrera and Denise Herrera Habicht

Reunion Photos

Robert Mattingly and Steve Reed
Willie Powell and Anthony Webb
The Class of '77

Denise Herrera, Sean Spicka, Becky Tolley
'77ers
The "Blood Sweat and Tears" Planning Committee: Kelly Russell, Donna Lopez Powers, Denise Herrera Habicht, Lee Herrera
Phil Mason, Karen Ruster, Mr. and Mrs. Albert
Dave Jester

The Class of '78



The Class of '77 celebrates!

Reunion Afterglow

It was so wonderful to see all ya'll who showed up at the reunion. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to be there. I'll post some photos as soon as (1) I figure out how to post from my new camera, and (2) Somebody else sends me something to post. (Gimmme a break...I've been on the road since reunion and just got home tonight.)

What is it like to see someone you know (however much or little) after 30 years? The short answer is...they are the same person you knew. Hair may go and bellies may grow, but the person you knew is the same person who shows up at the reunion. Mostly, kinda sorta, generally. Even if you don't recognize them at first, once you know who they are, the memories sweep onto the shore at high-tide velocity. Or not. It depends on how well you knew them in the first place.

The thing about a Lakenheath reunion is: Even if you didn't know the person you are talking to all that well, you are both there because you share a very significant experience that is unique. It starts with the cold, gray, windy weather--and having to walk through it all the time. Or ride a bus for far too long to get to school. So it's all good.

Lesson learned: It is difficult to get people to a reunion, especially when 'long ago and far away' assumes the epic proportions of growing up in a foreign country. Many of this reunion's attendees have English/British/Irish mums...my inner social scientist tells me that is no accident.

Finally, if you haven't been to a "I went to Lakenheath High School in the 70's" reunion, you can't imagine how great it is. Even if you connect with just a few people when you get there, it is worth it. If you went to high school in Lakenheath in the 70's, there is little about that experience that bears resemblance to life in the US now. (Very little.)

Chalk and cheese, as the British say.

List of Attendees

Here's the list of attendees. And believe it or not, you can still register, since we don't have to give a final number to the hotel for the Saturday dinner until tomorrow (Wednesday, August 8). So come on down!
Read more.

1977
Alice Meeth (Spicka)
Anthony Cannady
Anthony Webb
Cathy Hillman (Gray)
David Jester
Dean Baines
Debbie Birdsall (Martin)
Donna Powers (Lopez)
Jeanine Krenz (Courtney)
JC Clemons
Joan Vanness
Jon Conant
Kelly Russell
Lee Herrera
Lisa Larson (de la Cruz)
Mike Dumas
Robin Laird
Sandra Roberts (Woolf)
Steve Reed
Tim Temple
Todd Ansty
Tracey Viets Olson
1970
Gloria Navarro (Hopkins)
1971
Bobby Bowden
Cheryl Gardner (Bennett)
Dan Fouts
Evan Driggers Jr.
Gary Porter
Glenn West
Kim Braaten
Mary Louise Mayo (Gurchick)
Waynette Lee (Christy)
1972
James Driggers
1973
Maya Wright (Anderson)
Steve Cox
1975
Wendy Bailey
1976
Beth Wells (Vanness)
Debbie Dabbs
Donn Meadows Riggi
John Cannady
Robert Mattingly
Susan McArdle
1978
Kim O’Donnell (Zeier)
Lisa Hicks (Laird)
Mark Cannady
Vince Wagner
Willie Powell
Karen Ruster - hopefully
1979
Denise Habicht (Herrera)
Rebecca Tolley
Sean Spicka
1984
John Miller
1987
Krista Heubusch
Attended LHS
Lynne Sihrer – attended l968
Pat Johns (Pauley) –attended 1965-‘68
Susan Farris –attended 1968-‘70

Faculty
Mr. and Mrs. Albert

Mr. Dosedel's Daughter-in-Law

Mr. Dosedel, who taught at Lakenheath High School during the 70's (and beyond?) was/is a fantastic teacher.

Ginger Dosedel, daughter-in-law of the esteemed Mr. Dosedel, is person-of-the-week (ABC News, 23 March 2007).

Hats off to Ginger Dosedel who has assembled a cadre of volunteers to sew clothing for injured vets. No matter what you think about the war, this is an effort worth supporting. If you've been trying to figure out what you could do to help returning vets, Ginger's project is a good option.

I am a big fan of Mr. Dosedel. I was lucky enough to have him for biology, and US History too. My only regret is that by the time we got to WWII, it was the end of the school year and we didn't cover it as thoroughly as I would have liked. Even in the 70's, it seemed that Britain was still reeling from the War, with both dramas and comedies about the war on tv.

We're Launched!

Lakenheath High School's Class of 1977 is planning a 30-year reunion for August of 2007, and this is the blog that will bring you all the latest news and information about it.

Your fearless reunion committee (Lee Herrera '77, Donna Lopez Powers '77 and Kelly Russell '77 to name a few) had such a fantastic time in Las Vegas (thank you '76ers!). We still have a healthy case of reunion after-glow, and we are already in the final stages of negotiation with the Melrose Hotel in Washington, D.C. To check out their website click here.

The rates for double occupancy are $129/with one “American style” breakfast included/ $139 with two breakfasts/ $149 with three/ etc. This is a fantastic rate to stay in our Nation’s Capitol and to celebrate the big 30! We've also secured a great rate on parking...only $10 + tax/ per night (usually it is $25). There are three airports in the area--Dulles (only 15 minutes away), Reagan National (even closer), and Baltimore (for those of us who have succumbed to Southwest Airlines).

We need some feedback regarding the date. We have two options: August 9-11, 2007 or August 16-18, 2007. Please post a comment on this blog with your preference by Friday, July 14. Or e-mail us at Lakenheath77@gmail.com.

No matter what year we graduated and no matter where we meet next, we have a bond that we share from living in England in the 1970s. We hope to see you next August in D.C.!