On May 9, we attended what used to be one of the most fun reunions in town, the Tonganoxie schools alumni banquet. Now, it seems that folks who graduated from Tonganoxie High School do not have the time or the need to attend this affair. It takes a lot of time and effort on everyone’s part to put this together, especially the 25-year class who hosts and the 50-year class who tries to get all of their former classmates to attend.

What a disappointment when we arrived to find hardly anyone in the gym (which was a tad warm). We thought we were early but after waiting for the tables to fill up, the salads were put on the tables and the drinks poured and still no one showed up for the party. There were the usuals, like Frances Korb, who never misses even though she has a hard time getting around, a few of the class of 2004. It was mandatory we attended as seniors as this was now our alumni group. A few folks in wheelchairs were there and, for the ones who did attend, I think it was a fun time and a time to renew old friendships not only with the kids I grew up with, but with the ones who attended school with the rest of my family.

After asking why locals do not attend but ones from as far away as Maine and Oregon can attend, the answer was it is too expensive, the food is not good (which I agree should have some thought put into who caters) and they just forget to go. That banquet has been on the same Saturday for years!

My 50th year is coming up next year and we are already getting our reunion started. I hope you will attend the banquet and not be one of the ones who ends what a has been a tradition for 69 years. The band and Chieftain Singers entertained which was very delightful.

The way Tongie is growing you will someday not know your classmates because of bigger classes, so make the most of what you have today with wonderful friendships and happy memories of THS.

JoAnn Grems Brown, Class of 1955,
Linwood.

Where’s the skate park?

To the editor:

I am a sophomore at Tonganoxie that had part in asking to get a skatepark built more than two years ago. I have rollerbladed most of my life and moved to aggressive skating (handrails, ramps, etc.) around four years now. Two years ago there was no hope in getting a skatepark built with only around five kids requesting one. Kids in the junior high now spend most of their time on bikes or skateboards rather than the basketball court. There are even more kids in the younger grades starting on rollerblades, skateboards and bikes. Kids are all over Tongie skating or biking with nowhere to go.

Matt Drake,
Tonganoxie.