CHS Reunion Brings Together Classes of '69, '70

Amidst laughs, hugs and fond memories, Cranford High School held a combined reunion for the classes of ’69 and ’70 this Labor Day weekend. The reunion consisted of two events in Clark, one held Saturday at the Deutscher Club; the other, on Sunday at Gran Centurions.

“The two-year [reunion] is a unique concept, and we just had a great rapport between [the classes of] ‘69 and ’70,” said Charlie Obranowicz, organizing committee member and class of ’70. Obranowicz, the unofficial head of the 16-member committee, credits his background as a sports event organizer with helping him plan the reunion.

The more casual of the two events, the Deutscher Club held a "Cougars’ Den" theme. According to Patty Beadle Baker, class of ’69, the Cougars’ Den was for seventh-, eighth-, ninth-, and 10th-graders back in the 1960s and 1970s. It was much like the recreational dances current Cranford students look forward to on some weekends. The dances were held on Friday nights, alternating between Orange Avenue and Hillside Avenue schools. Kids could wander about, hang out in the gym or the cafeteria, and listen to music. Local bands, such as Sarge and the Privates, the Renegades, Talisman, and the Squires frequented the events.

The organizers sought to recreate that informal feel on Saturday. The Deutscher Club offered an outdoor beer garden with food and drinks, as well as live entertainment from the classic rock cover band, Carnaby Street.The party raged late, with some heading over to the Crown Plaza hotel for an impromptu after party.

On Sunday, the revelers arrived at 6 p.m. at the Gran Centurions banquet hall in Clark for dinner and dancing. The event was slightly more formal with khakis and heels replacing shorts and flip-flops.

An open bar (cash-and-carry for mixed drinks) and a buffet dinner started the evening. Guests had two hours to eat, drink and mingle. At 8 p.m., Obranowicz took the microphone and directed everyone to the projection screen at the top of the hall for a brief tribute to the 45 members of both classes that have passed on. The tribute was a slideshow of yearbook pictures set a version of “Ruby Tuesday.” The tribute ended in applause.

Union Groove took the stage next and immediately called up alumna Lynn Callo to sing “Moondance” by Van Morrison. Later, Dan Costanza channeled Mick Jagger and Rich Court played keyboard.

At 9 p.m., Denis Carter, class of ’70, took the stage to pay tribute to freshman football coach Herb Farrell, in attendance with his wife Bobbie.

“Thank you very much for inviting my lovely wife and me,” said Coach Farrell. “And I’m getting old!” 

The crowd erupted in applause and laughter, and so began the tongue-firmly-in-cheek “Never Too Late” awards, with categories such as Best Buns-Men and Longest High School Career. The alumni made a gauntlet and waved blue and gold pom poms as the nominees strolled up to the front of the room to catcalls and camera flashes.

The night ended with a four-minute video nod to Cranford, and by 11 p.m. the last stragglers filed into the parking lot. Each night saw roughly 140 attendees. Alumni considered the event a success; people caught up, exchanged business cards and email addresses, shared 40-year-old inside jokes, and teased one another. As organizing committee member Linda Ives Kurdilla, class of ’69, put it, "it was enough fun to last ten more years."