HELLO TO ALL PRESQUE ISLE ALUMNI:
Today you are receiving a rather long and detailed letter
that will be explaining all the particulars related to the
PIHS Alumni Weekend that is being hosted in Portland, Maine
over the weekend of August 13 - 15, 2004. This is a one-time
event that you surely will not want to miss. This information is being directly sent out to all the
alumni of the classes from 1979 - 1999.
Classmates.com has "graciously" agreed to help out with distributing this information. This is also a one-time
deal, as there will be no further messages distributed to any of you through this service. You must read through
this letter in its entirety. If you have any questions remaining after you have read this, then you may feel
free to contact me through email or by telephone.
This service does NOT allow for me to have your actual email address. So if you want me to have your contact
information, then you will specifically have to contact me yourself. We cannot send out over 2,000 messages out
at a time to catch people up on what is happening. So I am going to include all the relevant details in this one
long letter. The sections will appear choppy and unconnected and that is due in fact to my process of
cutting and pasting from previous documents sent out. However, after making your way through it all, I'm sure
that you will find that every thing possible has been covered in a very thorough manner. Thanks for your
time.
PURPOSE OF THE WEEKEND
The main purpose of this event is to get old chums from the County back together. If you have pals from a
different class you will never get to see them unless you go to each other¿s reunions. So the "committee"
voted to invite anyone from P.I. to attend. There are so many alumni in the southern Maine area that we
know the crowd will have no trouble filling up the building. We want to see people from all classes
in attendance.
I have personally contacted the previous ten class presidents and the five after us. I have their
email addresses and they will be getting these exact letters to distribute to their respective class
email trees. I am also opening a gold account on Classmates.com, where there are close to 2,000 PIHS
alumni registered. So these same notes will be distributed through that site, as well.
If even only 10% accepts, that is 200 people. And if they each bring a guest, then that is 400
people, and we haven¿t even gotten to the people in our own class! (I like to think BIG!!!)
Our function will be hosted by "THE ROOST" in Buxton (about six miles southwest of Gorham). This is a
private function hall, quite similar to the old Spruce Haven, but much nicer. It is a rustic
style establishment quite like a country western club. There is seating for up to 300 people at one time
and there is an upstairs balcony on the inside that overlooks the dance floor, with tables located
on the second floor as well.
There is a water fountain that greets visitors at the entrance. Two separate bars (one for beer
and one for liquor) are located at the end of the building opposite of the stage. We will have a
live band playing for our entertainment and I hope to have a "guest" singer or two to accompany them.
More details to follow soon about that. The dance floor is very large and should easily handle what
we have to throw at it.
OVERVIEW OF THE PARTY
There is a private venue rented in Buxton that is similar to the old Spruce Haven. It has a seating
capacity of about 300 people. There is a large dance floor, an upstairs balcony, a stage, and
two bars. There will be a buffet dinner provided at a cost of $20 per person. Drinks will be
purchased at the cash bars. There will be a live band playing from 9pm to 1am. We have the
establishment to ourselves from 5pm until sometime after 1:30am. Be sure to have a
designated driver planned for in advance.
Thank you.
And just so you know, this venue DOES HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
The schedule of events for the evening will be loosely structured as follows:
3-5pm Hall set-up and Decorating
5-6pm Ice Breaker (Bars Open)
6-7pm Happy Hour/ Appetizers
7-9pm Buffets Open for Dinner
9-1am Band is on Stage
2:00am Lights Out (Go Home)
The following options have been devised for your consideration. There are discounts incorporated
for couples and for those who RSVP in advance. Those who do not pay in advance will incur
late fees. Please confirm and remit in advance. The option for skipping dinner is intended for
those who are not able to actually get there earlier due to work or travel considerations.
Please come early and spent the whole evening with all of your old friends from the County.
CASH ONLY AT THE DOOR.
ANY alumni having dinner..........$40
ANY guest also having dinner...... $20
ANY alumni skipping dinner......$20
ANY guest also skipping dinner......$10
ANY alumni/guest paying at door......
Will incur a LATE FEE....+$5 (Per Person)
This translates to $60 per couple to have dinner and enjoy the whole evening.
This comes out to $30 per couple who skip dinner and pay in advance. Those
couples who pay at the door without RSVPing will pay $40 cash. So for
20 more dollars you both get to enjoy
the dinner. Please respond early and
plan to join us for dinner. These fees
are incurred to cover the cost of the
venue, food, band, and all other
incidentals, such as decorations,
postage, cell phone, website, PayPal
commissions, etc. This is a bare-bones
budget and the expense is the absolute
minimum possible to hold this event.
CLASS OF 1989 WEBSITE
For those of you not yet aware, Kathie has updated the class website with the
new spreadsheet contact information. She has also totally redesigned the
entire site. You may still sign into one of the guest books and you can
view the new class directory.
Along the top of the homepage, there are tabs to lead to a couple new sections.
One of them is for updating you new personal biographical information.
Simply click "Update Info" and you will
be directed to a page where you can
enter your profile into data fields.
She is working on adding a browse button
to attach photos, but for now you can still
send her photos by attaching them to email
and she will add them to your profile.
So the sooner that people take the time out of their busy schedules to fill out
a profile, the sooner that the rest of
us will know what you have been up to.
Sarah Ahmadi is the first one to have a
photo added, so be sure to send yours in
to Kathie.
Her email address is: kath@maine.rr.com
The "Class List" is in the middle of construction right now. She will be
adding profiles to the site as they
come in and then the names will turn
blue with active links to bios. So for
now, you still have to rely on the Excel
spreadsheets that I sent out for the
latest contact information for your
classmates. The class website can be found at the following link:
www.homestead.com/pihs/classof89.html
(Make a bookmark of the site)
PARTY DECORATIONS
The planning for decorations is underway. A few volunteers are needed to help decorate
the Roost. Help especially is needed to
blow up the helium balloons. A helium tank
will be rented. There will be a table to
display class memorabilia. Other classes
are more than welcome to bring pictures,
scrapbooks, etc. for the table.
Julia has done a great job on this so far and
she has 3 or 4 others who are giving her ideas
and advice. She is visiting the venue on Saturday
morning to check it out and see what can/needs to
be done. The venue will provide linens in the school
colors and centerpieces. Julia has started to make
party favors and banners and she can make formal
name tags for those who confirm in advance. Those
paying the late charges in cash at the door will
simply get a sticker written on with a Sharpie.
FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE OLD PORT
We will be meeting at Ri-Ra's Irish Pub and Restaurant. This is a very nice location and it is conveniently
situated on the waterfront in the Old Port. Of all
the bars in Portland, this is definitely one of the
nicest and it is big enough to accommodate our group.
There is a large dining room upstairs in the back where
we will be gathering.
To get the deal that I did, we cannot have the area until 10pm, as before that it is used for formal
dining. But that is fine, as I wasn't planning before 9pm anyway. I am instructing people to start
arriving any time after 8pm and to just wait and drink in the downstairs pub area. If you wish to
eat while there, the restaurant closes at 11pm, but the bar itself is open until the traditional 1am.
There will be live entertainment provided by the bar that night, but it is not affiliated with anything
I have arranged. The stage is downstairs, so it
shouldn't be too loud for people to converse while
upstairs. After 10pm, the only food available will
be appetizers such as chicken wings, mozzarella sticks,
and potato skins.
The establishment will be open to the public that night and we are simply meeting upstairs in the back
area. It is quite large and there are big windows overlooking the harbor. The only drink specials
will be Bud and Bud Light bottles for $2 each. Every thing else from the bar will be regular price.
Ri-Ra's is quite simple to locate. If you know where the Casco Bay Ferry terminal is, the bar is
the first building to the right. If you take Exit 7 off I-295 (which will be Franklin Avenue), you will
drive up the hill, cross Congress Street, and then drive all the way down the other side to the ferry
terminal, which is on Commercial Street. From that traffic light, the bar is immediately on the right
and on the ocean side of the street.
I am now going to provide you with the website to the bar. Once you visit the site, you will find links
on the left side of the screen that provide you with menus and directions with a map. The band
there on Friday is called Now is Now. Anybody know them?
www.rira.com/locations/portland/
For a downloadable map of the Portland Old Port area, click the following link. When you view the map, look
in the lower right corner and you will see the Casco Bay Ferry terminal. Ri-Ra's is located just to the
south of that about 300 feet. (That would be to the left on the map)
www.portlandmaine.com/directions.html
GOLF OUTING ON SATURDAY MORNING
Scott Nichols has made reservations at Nonesuch River Golf Club for the morning on Saturday. We
are extending an open invitation to ALL avid golfers who would like to join along. The course
is requiring that tee times be confirmed 10 days in advance. To hold your time, you must call the
club/ pro shop and give them a credit card. Once they have a list/number of players interested in
joining, they will then organize the tee times and contact you as to when to be at the course.
So you need to decide and confirm by Wednesday, August 4th. The rate for 18 holes of golf, WITH
A CART, is $51. As I know absolutely nothing about golf, I have no idea how reasonable that is.
But the idea is to get out and play with your buddies. You can call up your friends and organize your
own foursomes in advance.
The phone numbers to the golf club are: 207-883-0007 (local) and 888-256-2717 (toll free).
The website for the course is: www.nonesuchgolf.com. Fees without a cart would be $38, just in case anyone
is wondering. Plug the address in www.mapquest.com for directions.
Scott's contact information is: 207-380-5843 (cell) and scotnik@tidewater.net. Contact him
directly if you have any questions about what is happening with the golf part of things. Thanks.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE PARK
My original intention was to have a family day on Sunday at Ft. Williams State Park in Cape Elizabeth.
To me, this is the nicest park in the Portland area. It is home to Portland Head Light, the oldest
lighthouse on the East coast, Fort Williams, and is the site of the world famous Beach to Beacon
5k race.
If people would like to meet there, I will need some feedback, otherwise the day will now become
just open to recoup. You may tour the fort and the lighthouse, both for free. There are ball fields for
running and playing whatever. There is a real nice public beach there for anyone who might want to jump
into the ocean and work on their tan.
There are picnic pavilions available for having lunch, if you wish. I was thinking between noon to 3pm
would be a good time for anyone who wanted to show up. However, like everything else, people have to express
an interest or else plans just get scratched. So I need people to let me know about Saturday night
AND also their interest (and likelihood of attending) Friday night and Sunday afternoon.
Link to the lighthouse: www.portlandheadlight.com
Link to the park: www.capeelizabeth.com/tFort.html
Pictures of the lighthouse, the fort, and the beach are provided. There is also a map on the
lighthouse website to give you an idea where it is located. The park is within five miles
of Portland and simply requires driving over the Million Dollar Bridge.
HOTELS AND LODGING IN SOUTHERN MAINE
Fortunately, I have not had many people ask me about finding lodging-- about six. For those of you
still looking, Heidi Watson arranged a group rate at both the Howard Johnson and Holiday Inn.
Both of these are located off Exit 8 of the Maine Turnpike.
For anyone who is interested, I will pass along the information however I would strongly advise
looking on the many websites that sell discounted rooms. I get all of my rooms from the
following sites:
www.orbitz.com
www.hotwire.com
www.hotels.com
www.motels.com
www.lodging.com
The Howard Johnson is located at 155 Riverside Street, Portland. This area would be where you
would find the old Mark's Showplace and where Governor's restaurant is situated and the V.I.P
Superstore, just to give you an idea. The rooms are being discounted down to $127, mention PIHS
1989 reunion. The contact person is named Diane and her number is 207-774-5861. They must have a
three weeks advance notice.
The Holiday Inn is located right next door and they have a block of 20 rooms available. The sales
associate is named Jennifer and her number is 207-774-5601. The rooms here are booking for $135
a night and they are on a first come, first serve basis. I would hope that those needing rooms would be willing
to share with another couple so as to be able to split the price. But I am pretty sure you can find better
rates if you search the sites.
UPDATED PROFILES ON CLASSMATES.COM
I would like to remind people to once again, please update your profiles on the class website with Kathie.
You don't even have to contact her, just simply go to the Update Info link and fill out the appropriate
data fields.
In addition to this, classmates.com now allows for ANYONE to post photos and profiles on their site
for FREE. This is great for letting a large number of your friends know what you have been
up to and what you are currently doing with your life. Here is what you need to do to be able to
post an updated profile.
1) Go to www.classmates.com
2) Click the "My Page" tab at the top of the page
3) Once you do this, you will have options on the left side
4) Skip the entire "Profile" section, as that is just questionnaires
5) In the "Add/Edit My Bios" section, click LIFE BIOGRAPHY
6) You may now enter your info into the box
7) After submitting, go to the Add/Edit my PHOTO link (top of gray box)
8) Then browse from the various pics you have and add it
BAND AT THE PARTY
The band that will be performing at our function is called W.O.W. Their lead singer is Peter Buckley,
PIHS class of 1982. And yes, his dad was the science teacher.
For those who don't know, this is a rather accomplished group of guys. They have 3 albums
released, have toured extensively, were voted Best Band in Portland one year, and they have an extensive
song list from which to choose their sets. Please view the following sites for more information and to
be able to see song lists and listen to any of the selections. I've seen them perform about
a dozen times in the past.
www.garageband.com/artist/wowspeak
www.rezonate.com/wow
POKER PLAYING AT THE PARTY
Tim Lavin is organizing some poker at the party. The tables are round-tops of six and we were thinking
of assigning 4-6 of them in a corner for a couple hours. We can have variations of Omaha, Stud,
No Peek, and so on. He is planning to bring the decks and the chips to allow for some
friendly wagering. We're thinking 50 cent ante, with bets of 5, 10, and 25 cents and a
cap on the pot of $10. We want everyone to be able to join and not feel as though it is going
to cost too much to have some fun. So plan on bringing a few extra dollars to sit in on the
action and have a few laughs.
YAHOO GROUP TO JOIN FOR MORE INFO
I created a Yahoo Group for everyone to be able to send mail to each other at one time by only
using one email address. We have done pretty good so far with over 100 people who have
registered their emails to the account. I am looking to double that number in the next week.
I really need people to subscribe their emails to the list.
GROUP NAME: Presque_Isle_Classof1989
GROUP HOME PAGE: groups.yahoo.com/group/Presque_Isle_Classof1989
GROUP EMAIL: Presque_Isle_Classof1989@yahoogroups.com
The group name is simply what we are called, should someone be looking for us. The group
homepage is where you need to go to sign in and see the posted messages and see who else
is registered to the site. YOU MUST A YAHOO ACCOUNT TO ACCESS THE PAGE.
So if you don't have one, just create one for FREE at www.yahoo.com
The group email is the address that you place into the address line of the email. When
you do this, the message will then be sent to ALL of the people in the group at one time.
This makes things very convenient. To add your email to the list, you simply send a one line
note asking to be added to the following address:
Presque_Isle_Classof1989-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Your address will then be added within the next 24 hours. You will be allowed to post
messages to the group, view the photos on the site, check out the member list, and link to
the related sites. When you create your yahoo account, you really need to have you name on
the profile or else people don't know who you are. And if they don't know who you are,
they are not going to write to you. Several so far had to be identified and
they were the people whom no one was writing to. So be sure to identify your profile.
BUFFET DINNER TO BE OFFERED
I do realize that many of you are just getting this information for the first time with only
three weeks to go before the event. However, it just couldn't be helped. The dinner will
be offered/held if enough people pay IN ADVANCE to give the caterer the down payment.
I would like to be able to do this to offer people something nice from which to dine.
However, if we don't have enough takers, there will be a concession stand/ snack
bar available later in the evening.
The buffet would cost $20 per person and would require an online payment by Wednesday,
July 28th-which is next week, I know. For those who pay in advance, your account will
be credited the amount you paid if the buffet is not held due to a lack of response.
The monies are held in credit "limbo" until the 28th and then I either accept or reject
the payments depending on whether we have enough people paid in advance. So there
is no way to lose your money. If your payment is sent back, simply send another
payment to me for the lesser amount excluding dinner. If that is too
bothersome, you can always pay CASH at the door.
There were eight different buffet combinations offered to choose from.
A decision has not been made on which one would be chosen as that does not have
to be done for another week. But all must know that if there is not enough
interest in the buffets, then that also means that there will be NO appetizers
and NO desserts, as those were incorporated in the price of the buffet.
If you order from the snack bar, you will get a number and they will call you over
the p.a. system when your food is up. All payment for food and beverages is
with CASH ONLY.
DIRECTIONS TO THE "ROOST"
62 CHICOPEE ROAD
BUXTON, ME.
04093
WWW.PTCMAINE.COM
(207) 642 - 2148
FROM EXIT 8 GO SRAIGHT THROUGH THE FIRST LIGHT NEXT LIGHT TAKE A RIGHT ONTO RT.25
FOLLOW RT.25 THROUGH WESTBROOK AND GORHAM. AFTER THE TOWN OF GORHAM, YOU WILL BE WATCHING
FOR RT.112 . TAKE A LEFT ONTO RT 112, APPROX.4.5 MILES ON THE RIGHT WILL BE THE CHICOPEE
ROAD. TURN RIGHT ON THE CHICOPEE ROAD , THE ROOST IS 3 BUILDINGS UP ON THE LEFT.
THIS IS A BRIEF NOTE THAT THE OWNERS SENT ME.
I RECOMMEND PUTTING THE ABOVE ADDRESS INTO
WWW.MAPQUEST.COM
PAYMENT FOR THE EVENT
Hello Wildcats and Guests...
As the date of the planned soiree in southern Maine moves closer, it is now time to start
committing yourselves and making payment to cover the costs of hosting the event. To help
streamline the process, I have created various invoices through the PayPal service that will
allow people to pay online with a credit or debit card.
Please click the link that applies to you. If a link does not open directly, simply copy
the link and paste it into your address bar and hit return. You will then be taken to
the appropriate site.
The invoices have my email address on them simply because I had to create the links by
sending the invoices to myself first. It will still work just the same as you will
be entering your credit/debit information, and not mine.
Be sure when you are done to print out a copy of the receipt that will be emailed
back to you. Bring this receipt with you, as the ladies working the door will NOT
know any of you. They will view your receipt, check off your name(s) on the
account ledger I will have printed, and they will then stamp your hand to help
them keep track.
The process of how to complete the transaction is explained in the note
that is included with each invoice. It is a pretty simple process and I don¿t
foresee anyone having any difficulty with it. I went through the payment process
myself just last night as a dry run for the group.
Once again, please don¿t cheat yourself out of a full night¿s activities by
trying to save a few dollars. Plan to attend early and join the group
for dinner and socializing (bars open at 5pm).
I must have all online payments for dinner by Wednesday, July 28th.
Online payment for attending without dinner must be received by Friday, August
13th. Payment the day of will require CASH at the door and a late fee incurred
of $5 per person arriving without any type of RSVP.
ALUMNI AND GUEST HAVING DINNER ($60)
(copy and paste both lines of the below link)
https://www.paypal.com/us/prq/id=8Uh8EMFDZOFRlVjbtJ5j1J4tZ7MQYFeTnxPdvA
ALUMNI HAVING DINNER WITHOUT A GUEST ($40)
(copy and paste both lines of the below link)
https://www.paypal.com/us/prq/id=3mMNwEBG6ITIm5kxGnpB44jvAv398ER5BAdr5Q
ALUMNI MISSING DINNER AND BRINGING A GUEST ($30)
(copy and paste both lines of the below link)
https://www.paypal.com/us/prq/id=2ykZvc4js3Mx9gC2Vv6UNAzlBwju1ExulNqRkA
ALUMNI MISSING DINNER WITHOUT A GUEST ($20)
(copy and paste both lines of the below link)
https://www.paypal.com/us/prq/id=NP3vQkQYKKTErtthlPIiPmodjU36xdRYEzE0JA
REGISTERING FOR THE YAHOO GROUP
From: "Scott"
Date: Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:50 pm
Subject: PLEASE PUT YOUR NAMES ON PROFILES ADVERTISEMENT
Hello everyone, Scott here. Just wanted to run over a couple small details with the group.
I am quite pleased with the fact that we now have over 100 members registered to this
group. Quite impressive. However, many people are writing to me to voice their
frustration at NOT knowing who most of the people are.
I cannot stress enough to each of you, that no one will/can write to you IF THEY DON'T KNOW
WHO YOU ARE! I know most everyone simply because I'm the one who sent out the invites
and I write to each person whom I don't recognize and most write back to me the next day.
Other than myself, no one knows who most of you are. Yes, there are many who have put their
names on their profiles and that is great. But well over half of the group is still
completely anonymous. This site is great for sending out messages to a large group, but many
people like to send out individual messages to select persons.
Along with that, now that we are getting many members from other classes,it might be a good
idea for people to list their class year. I see that most of the early 80's people are
doing that automatically, but it probably should be done by all. Even when I look at
the listings I sometimes get pretty confused.
So I am asking everyone to update their profiles to include their first and last names,
along with their year of graduation. I think you would be surprised how many more people would
contact you if they actually knew who YOU were. Think about it?
We have sent out over 1,500 invitations to the alumni of PIHS who were listed on classmates.com.
So, to keep all the incoming names and addresses straight, we really need to personalize our
profiles. All of this has just been done in the last three days. The next round of more detailed
bulletins are starting to go out tomorrow.
All of the alumni from PIHS who are registered with classmates.com from the years of 1980 - 1999 have
been contacted. However, their email addresses are hidden from us, so I can't send out all of
the attachments and what not. So they join this group to get them.
DESIGNATED DRIVERS
I have fielded a couple calls this week about designated drivers. Please remember everyone
that there IS NO TAXI SERVICE in Buxton. Iwould advise planning ahead for a ride home.
There will be many people in attendance who can drop someone off at their hotel or wherever they
need to go. All you have to do is ask them.
So I am STRONGLY suggesting to people to post requests for rides on here if you will be needing a way
back home from the party. Just say who you are and where you need to go and wait for someone to get
back to you with an offer to help. Those from 1989 have an address listing and can look up who lives
somewhat near you and can contact them to ask them if they will be attending and if they can help.
This is not a difficult situation to fix, just plan ahead a bit. And if worse comes to worse, I know
there will be people at the party whom you can just ask when the time comes. Just offer to
pay them for gas or something like that. I'm sure they'd be happy to help you out. PLEASE DO
NOT DRINK AND DRIVE HOME.
IN CLOSING THIS LETTER
I hope that most of you were able to make it this far. I know that was a lot of information,
but like I said, this was a ONE-SHOT deal to get it all out in just one massive email to 2,000
people. I'm sure that you all understand. If, after all of this, you think that you still
have some unanswered questions, I would be shocked. But just the same, you may feel free
to contact me at any time by calling my cell phone at (954) 448 -1624. If you don¿t
recognize the area code, that is because I am organizing all of this from southern
Florida, just north of Miami. My email address for all alumni weekend-related
activities is: sea_dogs89@yahoo.com. I hope to see a lot of you in attendance at the party.
Take care and have a great summer....
Scott M. Daigle / PIHS 1989