THE FREE'PRESS PEOPLE Page A23 THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2000 PHONE 564-0005 They're right back where they started. The grad dress doesn't look quite so stylish, and most annual photos bring a few winces, but the Class of ‘75 has a lot of special memories to celebrate. John McKenae/FreE press Class of ’75 The Community NOTEBOOK ♦---------------------------- ► Walk for Hospice A walk to celebrate the memory of a lost loved one and to raise awareness for the Prince George Hospice society is happening this Sunday at Fort George Park. The walk is intended to raise awareness of the hospice society, which provides support services for people with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The society is offering two separate walks, a one hour walk around Fort George Park between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and a two and one half hour guided hike along LC Gunn Trail that leaves at 10:30 a.m. Registration for both hike along with a Celebration of Life Tree, for those walking in memory of a loved one, will be at the Fort George picnic shelter. ► Storytelling for the ages Children of all ages who miss hearing stories told to them by Grandma and Grandpa can relive the experience at the Prince George Public Library. Both branches are hosting a Grandpa and Grandma’s Reading Corner. Anyone can drop in to hear stories read by elderly story-tellers every weekday. Readings are for an hour each day, starting 1:30 p.m. Mondays at the Main branch and 6:30 p.m. at the Nechako branch, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at both branches and at the main branch Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m, Thursdays at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. For more information, call 563-9251. ► Backyard swimming The Family YMCA of Prince George is offering backyard swimming lessons at various pools around the College Heights area this summer. Swim sessions run July 4,17 and 31 and August 14. All instructors are qualified by the Red Cross. Register at the Family YMCA on Massey Drive. Call 562-9341 for more information. ► Francophone Camp Les Cercle des Canadiens Francais is offering a Camp Francophone for children aged 5 to 12. The kids must speak and understand a minimum of French. There will be a wide variety of activities, from arts to sports to field trips. The camp will run weekly from July 4 to August 11. For more information, call 561-2565. ► Host families needed AFS Interculture Canada is looking for 15 host families to welcome an exchange student into their home from July 21 to August 18. The family provides a place to stay and meals for the four-week exchange, while the student comes with their own money and attends summer school from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. For more information, call Joy Sturgeon at 964-2885. One of them became a marine biologist in Tanzania, one became a fighter pilot stationed in Africa, one plays for the London Philharmonic, one is a deejay for a big radio station in Toronto, one runs a theatre company, and there are the usual allotments of doctors and lawyers and entrepreneurs. They are all together the class of ’75. A lot of special energy was attached to the class of ’75 from Prince George. They were the three-quarters class, marking the final phase of the century. They were the largest class of graduates in the city’s history. In fact their numbers had outgrown PGSS and another high school would be built to accommodate the growing student body of the burgeoning city. The ’75ers would be the last single grad class ever in Prince George. That is the distinction that marks them most as they hold their 25th anniversary reunion in the summer of 2000. “We always felt kind of special about our class,” says Deb Kulchiski (Wozney), now a marketer for Central Mountain Air and one of the organizers of the reunion. “There were about 880 of us so tracking all these people down is hell ish.” They are only missing about 75 peo pie from their database, however. The rush is on to find and contact those people before the big reconnection over the August long weekend. Last single grad class getting back together When you look back at the era around that historic grad class you see all kinds of cultural landmarks accompanying them. “American Pie” was coming out of the stereo for the first time (Madonna heard it in her own high school halls), Elvis was still alive in Vegas, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest cleaned up at the Oscars, society developed a shark fixation after Jaws scared the world, the Montreal Canadiens won their first of four straight Stanley Cups while the city of Montreal geared up for the Olympic Games. In Prince George there was no Pine Centre Mall, there was only one McDonald’s, drive-in movies were packed, Shakey’s Pizza and Dog ‘n’ Suds were hang outs and all the retro clothes kids wear today were fresh fashion. The platform shoes, bell bottoms and embroidered jeans couldn’t be back in style at a better time, as far as the reunion is concerned. “I think it’s going to be nostalgic, I really do. I think there will be a lot of Story and Photography Frank Peebles remembering,” says Margaret Sambad (Clapp),” another of the organizers and the proprietor of Muffin Break. “I think there will be a lot of ‘what are you doing with yourself these days’ because it really has been a long time. Even at the 10th reunion a lot of us were just getting started.” Times have changed a lot, over that 25 years. The grad night celebration was held at the Coliseum, after two valedictory ceremonies earlier in the day (split equally by alphabet). There was no such thing as Dry Grad “and none of us would have gone anyway,” Margaret laughs. Students were even provided with a smoking room inside the school. “I remember my mom wouldn’t let me wear jeans or make-up,” Deb says. “When I got to high school she finally clued in that that was what everyone wore, so I was allowed to one day a week. I’d save it for Friday. When I think of my daughter, I’ve never seen her in a dress.” Speaking of dresses, most grad gowns got made by moms or in Home Ec class. There were no trips to Vancouver to pick one up on Robson Street. Some of those grad dresses might even make a cameo appearance at the PGSS Class of ’75 25th anniversary reunion. It takes place at the Coast Inn of the North August 4 and 5. Tickets are available at Muffin Break (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday). For more informa tion call Margaret at 564-7522 or Debbie Rowe (Makowsky) at 564-8141.