Ti alumni reunion attracts 1,500

TICONDEROGA | They came from around the country and around the block. They tried to put names to faces and faces to names. They rekindled acquaintances, compared memories of things that happened decades ago and waxed nostalgic over shared experiences with old friends who, as they would eventually figure out, they had in fact never met. These were class reunions nested within reunions, the umbrella event being the 2021 Ticonderoga Alumni Association Extravaganza, which was open to any graduate of Ticonderoga High School, or for that matter, anyone who happened to wander by. Along with the camaraderie, they enjoyed high school tours, rounds of golf, food, music, and fireworks. More than 1,500 people attended, going back as far as the class of 1948, said coordinator Bob Dedrick. Many were seeing Ticonderoga for the first time in years and were impressed with the downtown decked out in the celebratory garb of StreetFest, an annual urban fair hosted by the Ticonderoga Montcalm Street Partnership. Dixie Thorpe of Crown Point, class of '76, greeted former teachers and classmates as she strolled through the StreetFest vendors. "Our class was pretty close, and we've stayed in touch through the years," she said. But the extravaganza was especially sweet after Covid was responsible for a year's worth of cancellations. The extravaganza itself was originally scheduled for a year ago but had to be postponed. As it happened, 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the original extravaganza. There had been plans to hold them on a regular basis, but this was the first to match the original in scope. Keith Russell, who came with his family including 91-year-old former science teacher Sonny Russell, said it was the first he'd seen the town since 1986. "It's been wonderful having so many people coming up to (Sonny) and saying hello," he said. Two who did so were Ron Schubin and Kathy Morette Schubin of Albany who taught English at Ticonderoga in the 1970s. Some former students and teachers have kept up on social media, but "it's been a real pleasure to see everyone in person," Ron said. That counts for a person they thought they knew, but didn't, Ron said, referring to a conversation with a "friend" that went on for some time before "it turned out we were total strangers."

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Ti alumni reunion attracts 1,500

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