Yep, we were back for sure,  and in a big way! It seemed like everyone was in the mood to party and the 1995 edition of the annual Ilion Days Doo-Dah Parade seemed like a good way to start the fun.

Someone had a great idea for a float we could use in the Doo-Dah parade. We would build a float that paid homage to the famous Otsego Street wall, where most of us surely rendered our names in stale paint on a Thursday evening in June of 1965.

Jean's guy Tony (Maneen) supplied a small utility trailer and the materials to transform the little two-wheeled beauty into a likeness of the Otsego St. landmark. A small crew assembled at Jean and Tony's on Thursday night, before the parade, to decorate the float. A few sheets of plywood to side the float and lots of paint (Jean, where did you get all those colors?) captured the sentiment of the wall. A class roster was used to make sure that everyone's name showed somewhere on our mobile wall. Thanks to Joe Short for his work in creating the nifty sign panel for the front of the float with the familiar Golden Bomber icon.

Someone had a great idea for a float we could use in the Doo-Dah parade. We would build a float that paid homage to the famous Otsego Street wall, where most of us surely rendered our names in stale paint on a Thursday evening in June of 1965.

It was a great night for a parade. It felt like a July evening and the weather was uncharacteristically co-operative. The float looked really fine in the parade and the group looked pretty darn good in those new Class of 65 tee-shirts.

After the parade it was time to migrate over to the K of C to mingle a little more intimately, listen to some old tunes and sip a cool one, or two. It was heartening to see just how closely you can crowd the 5-0 mark and not really show it; you guys still got the moves!

Saturday seemed like a great day for a poolside party. The weather was still co-operating so it was off to Jean and Tony's West State Street pavilion. Everyone brought a dish to share, there was plenty to drink, lots of pictures from previous reunions to look at and a nice pool to cool off in. It sure is fun talking over the old times and seeing friends that have been apart for so many years. Somehow, in coming together as we did, 30 years just disappear and you are young again!

After the parade it was time to migrate over to the K of C to mingle a little more intimately, listen to some old tunes and sip a cool one, or two. It was heartening to see just how closely you can crowd the 5-0 mark and not really show it; you guys still got the moves!

If you missed us, were busy or just could not make it to Ilion to celebrate the 30th, we hope you can join us next time. And we hope this page brought back some pleasant memories for you.

Here's a list of your classmates who were in town or had time to stop by and participate in some of the activities. Now let's see, who wins the distance prize? Maybe the prize should go to both Lauranne and Cliff for making the trip from the west coast.