POCATELLO — After the 50th reunion was canceled last summer amid COVID concerns, Pocatello High School and Highland High School classes of 1971 are gearing up for an even bigger and better-combined event on Aug. 5-7.
“Our 50+1 reunion is going to be a fantastic, jam-packed event for old friends and classmates,” said Debra Harris, PHS '71 reunion committee member. “We’ve really pulled out all the stops, especially since this will be our final formal class reunion. Besides, who knows what tomorrow will bring? Memories are to be made in the here and now.”
The reunion organizing committee has relied on social media and email to get the word out but not without a few bumps in the road.
“It’s been frustrating on the email front, as so many addresses have changed in the past five years,” Harris said. "Especially after tracking down new addresses using search sites, only to have the reunion announcement end up in class member’s spam folder, never seen. So. we need to get the word out.”
The 50+1 Aug. 5 fun includes a classic car show and cruise, artwork, hippie costume party, dancing with DJ Adrian Smart and a Relight the Night walking tour with Randy Dixon.
Aug. 6 events include an all-class golf tourney with Poky class of 1972, which is hosting their own reunion the same weekend.
Social hour and buffet dinner, catered by The Sandtrap, follows in the evening along with a silent auction, old school memorabilia, a video presentation of days gone by, in memoriam, a vintage photo booth and some surprises along the way. The reunion weekend ends on Aug. 7 for an all-class send-off Pancakes in the Park breakfast at Ross Park Pavilion.
Most events are free. Dinner/banquet tickets are $50 per person and $90 per couple. After July 22, add $10 per person.
Pocatello High School: Send checks or money orders filled out to PHS 71, 3574 Wild Mountain, Pocatello ID 83204. Venmo: Jill Russell Watkins sikmwatkins at yahoo.com.
Highland High School: Checks or money orders to Georgia Callantine, 132 Willard, Pocatello ID 83201.
Venmo: Georgia Callantine at classreunion2022 or 208-406-4695.
To request a Poky/Highland 50+1 reunion packet sent to your email, contact Debra Harris at wordiva@yahoo.com.
The full schedule is as follows:
Aug. 5
— Noon — HHS rock painting.
— 1 p.m. — HHS school tour.
— 2 p.m. — Classic car show at the HHS parking lot. Contact Dennis Hickman at 208-221-8158 if you have a classic car to show.
— 4 p.m. — Old town classic car cruise
— 5 p.m. — Dress like a hippie night at the Old Town Pavilion on the corner of North Main and Fremont Street.
— 6 to 9 p.m. — Sock it to Me Hop dancing with DJ Adrian Smart.
— 5 to 8 p.m. — First Friday Art Walk.
— 9:15 p.m. — Relight the Night walking tour with Randy Dixon (Poky '67). Old Town on the corner of North Main and Fremont Street.
Aug. 6
— 8 a.m.— All-class golf tournament with the Poky class of 1972. $48 per person. It will be at Riverside Golf Course, 3500 Bannock Highway. Pay at the course. Call 208-232-9515 to reserve a cart. PHS contact is Jan Raymond Roche at janroche75@gmail.com. HHS contact is Donna DeBolt Hays at haysdonn@isu.edu.
— 1 p.m. — PHS rock painting. School tour with Poky class of 1972
— 5 p.m. — Social hour. Mountain View Event Center, 1567 Way to Grace Ave.
— 6 p.m. — Dinner/banquet.
Aug 7
— 9 a.m. — Pancakes in the Park at the Ross Park pavilion.