Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Reunion Photos Available Online

Good morning all,

It’s hard to believe that our 20th reunion, which was approximately 8 months in the making, has now come and went.  We sincerely hope that everyone had a great time reminiscing and catching up with old friends.  To that end, I’ve been downloading many of the photos taken by your fellow alumni at Saturday night’s event.  Many thanks to the photographers for sharing their excellent shots!  The photos are available as a web album found at the following address:

http://picasaweb.google.com/PNHSClassof89/PortageNorthernClassOf198920thReunion?authkey=Gv1sRgCLGdpYqPxNrdaA&feat=directlink

As additional photos become available, I will simply append them to this photo album.  I’ll also attempt to caption them with alumni names wherever possible.

One last thing, the PNHS89.com site will remain active and online.  Look for me to post additional info via the “Announcements” blog for the next couple days where I’ll touch upon topics such as the Classmate Directory and discussions for a 25th or 30th reunion.

Take care,
-Matt

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Only One Night…to ROCK!

Good evening alumni,

I’m currently in the midst of converting a VHS tape of our beloved 1989 Portage Northern Talent Show to DVD (thank to Jenny (Ouding) Frye for the tape).  The show was kicked off with a rock edge by none other than “Trinity”, which was comprised of Class of ‘89 alums Jim Hughes, Brian Blackmer, Scott Larsen, and Matt McKenzie. 

And now…for one Night ONLY, Trinity returns to rock the reunion!  The original band reunites with additional members, Todd Evans and his keyboard wizardry, alumni James Powell running the soundboard, and Brad Blackmer on vocals.  Fresh off a jam session in the Windy City, Trinity plans a 10-song set of 80’s rock favorites and recent tunes thrown in for good measure.  If you’re a fan of U2, Shinedown, or The Cure…you will not want to be leaving early Saturday night as the band takes the stage at 10 PM!

Until we rock on Saturday! \m/
-Matt

Monday, August 10, 2009

Main Event Timeline for Saturday Night

Good evening all,

Despite all the messages we’ve posted about the reunion over the past 8 months, we’ve negelected to post the actual times for the main reunion event for August 15th!  Here’s the general timeline for this coming Saturday.  The timeline may vary by 15-20 minutes here and there depending on the ebb and flow of the evening’s events:

Reunion event (and registration desk) opens: 6:00 PM (Registration open until ~8:00 PM)
Food stations (save room for dessert): 6:00 until approx. 8:00 PM
DJ and Dancing: Approx. 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
LIVE Alumni Talent Show Reunion Band, “Trinity” takes the stage: 10:00 PM to 10:50 PM
More dancing: 11:00 PM - Midnight

After the event closes, many alumni will undoubtedly continue the party elsewhere.  We do not have an “official” place to gather after the event, but the rumblings point towards the Main Street pub in Portage and/or back to Wayside, the host for our Friday night gathering.

Four Days & Counting!  Until then…

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Friday Night @ Wayside

We’re now less than one week from our first reunion weekend event at Wayside in Kalamazoo next Friday night, August 14th!  I thought I’d drop a post here due to the questions I’ve had over the past few weeks about who can attend and if the event is open to PNHS grads other than the Class of ‘89.

In a nutshell, Wayside is a huge facility and I don’t believe they’ll turn down a hoard of thirsty bar patrons!  We don’t yet have a specific “start time” for the event, but it will be held in one of the bars in the upper level of Wayside.  I’ll post some specifics in the next day or two about this event as well as the timeline of events for the Main Event on Saturday night.

Bottom line…bring your friends to Wayside next Friday night!  If the crowd we expect for the reunion shows up plus additional Northern alumni, it could be pretty legendary!

Cheers,
-Matt

Friday, August 07, 2009

Wondering What to Wear to the Reunion?

Good morning all,

I’ve been asked quite frequently “What should I wear to the reunion?” or “Does the reunion event require formal dress?”  My basic response to this frequently asked question is that the Saturday night event does not require formal attire.  As far as suggestions, based on all other reunion pictures I’ve viewed from past reunions (including our PNHS ‘88 alums) the dress code leans towards “business casual.”

Alternately, I’ve told people to wear whatever you think makes you look great!  Will we see people wearing ripped jeans circa 1989 to the reunion?  Probably not!  However, if anyone wants to dust off their old prom dresses, it’s strictly your choice!   All I know is that you shouldn’t plan on seeing me wearing a tie!

Have a great day!
-Matt