Reunion planned for City High students

City High School, which opened its doors for the 1957-58 school year and ceased operation in 1969, will be holding a reunion for all those who attended the school during its heyday. The two-day celebration will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2, with some events being held at Warren County Middle School, the former City High, while others will be held downtown, according to organizers.

Entrance to the event will be $20 for individuals, or $30 per couple. All proceeds will go to the Park Theatre renovation project.

City High alumni Diane Stanley and Jeff Golden have been instrumental in forming a committee to organize the reunion. Golden petitioned the city for the use of Court Square several months ago as groundwork was being laid for the event.

?We have people in the committee who represent each class from ?58 to ?69,? Stanley said. ?We?ve been meeting since last September planning this.?

Stanley says so many activities have been planned, the event will take place over two days.

?We?re going to make a weekend of it,? Stanley said. ?Friday afternoon we?re going to register at the old City High School, which is now the middle school, from 4 to 6 p.m. Then they can go to the Pioneers ball game Friday night. We?re going to sit together and be recognized at halftime.?

Stanley said the WCHS band will play the City High alma mater while the assembled alumni sing along. Tickets for the Pioneers game will be available in advance, with a portion of that going to the Park Theatre project as well.

On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tables for each class will be set up around South Court Square, which will be blocked off for the event. During the downtown activities there will be a historic tour of McMinnville, conducted by Jimmy Haley, along with a visit to the Park Theatre, so alumni can get a first-hand view of the renovation project.

A pictorial history DVD, with musical accompaniment, put together by Mark Gribble, will be shown during the afternoon, and will be available for purchase as well. Music for the event will be provided by a couple of vintage jukeboxes playing period music, courtesy of Gary and Donna Brewer of Brewer Amusement.

?We?re going to have some of our former teachers there from around 1 to 3 p.m. in front of the Chamber building,? Stanley said.

The event will also include a talent show featuring performances by alumni, and a silent auction of vintage items and memorabilia donated or created by alumni, including an original painting by Danny Phifer. City alumnus Thomas Vaughn has even penned a couple of songs for the event. Following the talent show there will be a dance featuring Timeline, an oldies band that recently made an appearance at Main Street Live.

One of the unique situations about the reunion, according to Stanley, is the number of students who actually attended City High, but did not graduate, since the school included grades seven through 12, and the last class graduated in 1969.

?So we left a lot of people still at City High School who were seventh through juniors,? Stanley said, ?and one of the reasons we want to get the word out is that we want those people to come to this reunion.?

Stanley said the committee sent out advance postcards and letters to everyone they had an address for who was an alumni and who graduated.

?But there were lots of people who were still there who didn?t get a letter from us,? Stanley said, ?and we want them to come and join us as well. We want anybody who attended City High School to come to the event.?

Stanley said a consolidated reunion seemed like a great way for everyone to get together.

?That?s why everyone has been anxious to have a 12-year reunion,? Stanley said, noting the intent is to include students from all 12 years the school existed, from 1957-69. ?It was a small school. We had maybe 120 graduate in my class. One class was probably 80 something. It was like a community school. And it was a beautiful school, we took such pride in it. After a while it didn?t matter who was in the seventh or who was in the ninth, we were just all there together, so we?re just all wanting to see each other.?

For more information call Golden at 931-473-5984, or Stanley at 931-668-9539.