By all accounts, our 50th Reunion was a great success and everyone has been asking for a 55th. We’ll work on that! Stay tuned here and on our W-L High School Class of ’71 Facebook page for announcements.
Be sure we have your current email address (send YOUR email to OUR email on the Contact US page) so we can send you notices and announcements, and stay tuned for details!
The CDC and the Virginia Deportment of health show a drop of 20%+ in reported COVID cases in Arlington over the past seven days. That is good news!
To be safe, we will have a digital thermometer and a supply of instant/home COVID tests available as well as a supply of N94 masks if you don’t feel well and want to confirm you do or don’t have COVID. We will also have a limited supply of Tylenol. Contact Sandy Divine Bowen or Karen Von Der Bruegge for supplies. We will have these items at the hospitality room at the Holiday Inn.
Obviously, if you are not feeling well you should not come this weekend. But we hope everyone is healthy and happy and has a wonderful time this Reunion weekend without having to worry about COVID.
Don’t know yet what you’ll be doing Friday afternoon (before the Friday evening get-together at The Pinemoor) or Saturday before the big reunion event?
Not to worry . . . we’ve reserved a hospitality suite at the Holiday Inn Arlington that will be open for your eating and chatting pleasure from 1 to 4 p.m. on Friday, as well as 10:00 am Saturday morning and into the afternoon.
We’ll provide snacks and sandwiches — even a charcuterie board! It’s the perfect place to stop by and sit a spell, especially if you’re planning to attend Charlie Clark’s fascinating presentation on Arlington history at 1 p.m. Saturday.
We’ll see you there!
It’s lunchtime in Ballston! Where ya gonna go? (There are so many great choices, maybe the question should be “Where aren’t ya gonna go?”)
Fortunately, Arlington Magazine has put together a guide to the best eateries near our hotel and reunion venue. Says the mag, Ballston is “a delicious destination for hot doughnuts, seafood, beers from around the world and one of the most coveted hot chicken sandwiches in the D.C. region.” (Spoiler alert: You’ll find those at Hot Lola’s in the Quarter Market at 4238 Wilson Blvd.)
Other choices include The Salt Line, El Rey, Ballston Local, El Pollo Rico, Bronson Bierhall, SER (Simple. Easy. Real.), Taco Bamba, Good Company Doughnuts, and more. You’ll find details on all these tasty places at the link above. Bon appétit!
Haven’t purchased your reunion ticket yet? You have until 5 p.m. on October 7 to buy one (or more) online — along with drink and parking tickets. But if you decide on Saturday that you’d really rather attend the reunion than clean the garage, you can pay at the door.
Here’s the deal: You’ll need to bring $95 cash per attendee If you want to purchase tickets for drinks or parking you can also do that at the door with cash.
Tickets for parking are $6. If you’re staying at the Holiday Inn (where the parking is free for guests at the hotel), it’s an easy walk. If you don’t buy a parking ticket in advance and park in the Ballston Center garage, you’ll pay $11 by credit card on your way out.
Questions? Call Mary Keeney between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET (or text any time) at 443-584-6365 — or email us at wl71reunioncommittee@gmail.com.
Fall is a great time to visit the DC area. This site has a list of fall events and festivals, several 3-day itineraries, and a great list of free things to do.
If you’re going to be out and about on Saturday and Sunday, how will you get around? Renting a car or riding with a friend? Calling an Uber or Lyft? No problem.
But if you’re taking the DC Metro train, here are some things you should know:
The Ballston Metro Station is about a quarter-mile walk from the Holiday Inn where some of us will be staying. This station is on the Orange and Silver Lines into Washington, DC. Here’s a PDF with all the basics, including a map.
Many return stations for the Orange and Silver Lines downtown are also on the Blue Line. But do not get on a Blue Line train to return to the Ballston Station — you’ll end up somewhere else!
If you’ve been away from Arlington since our 40th reunion in 2011, you’ll no doubt notice a big change when you arrive for our 50th next week. Marymount University’s “Blue Goose” building — the “Blue” comes from its distinctive blue tiles — has been replaced by a shiny (and sustainable) building called Ballston Center.
The Blue Goose was built by M.T. Broyhill & Sons (remember them?) in 1963. According to InsideNova.com, “The origins of the name ‘Blue Goose’ are shrouded in the mists of history. But Jeanne Broyhill, whose father and uncle were responsible for construction of the building and much else in Northern Virginia during the era, says she always remembers it by that nickname. (A nearby building, now long gone, was known as the Green Hornet, Broyhill said.)”
Ballston Center opened in 2017. But the memory of the Blue Goose lingers on. The courtyard to the right of the building contains four two-sided historical markers partly constructed with the Blue Goose’s iconic blue panels.
Read an entertaining article about the history of the Blue Goose.
The plans for our 50th reunion got sidelined by the pandemic last year — so instead we launched a “virtual reunion.” Bob Oganovic built a fabulous website enabling all of us to gather online and catch up on the last half century. (Thanks, Bob!)
You’ll find it at https://wl71.oganovic.com. If you haven’t filled out your profile or posted photos, please do so. Inquiring minds want to know what you’ve been doing! So pay a visit to the virtual reunion and see what your friends — and even people you barely knew — have been up to. You might be amazed.
Remember those Friday nights after the game . . . when we’d all go have burgers at The Pinemoor? Well, neither do we, because it opened many years after we left W-L! But it’s a popular spot now, and we all get to try it out the night of Friday, Oct. 7.
You’ll find The Pinemoor at 1101 N. Highland Street — just one block from the Clarendon Metro station. There is metered street parking and a parking garage across the street.
The gathering starts at 5:30, and there’s no charge to attend. Just pay for your own munchies and drinks — and have fun reconnecting with classmates. Come when you can and stay as long as you like. (Although they’ll toss you out at closing time — 2 a.m.!) There are other restaurants in the area, so you can mix and match the appetizers and entrées.
Questions? Call Mary Keeney between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET (or text any time) at 443-584-6365 — or email us at wl71reunioncommittee@gmail.com.
Wondering who you might see at the reunion? You can find the list at our reunion website – but check back often because it changes weekly with new classmates buying their tickets. Maybe your old best friend or that cute girl (or guy) with the locker across from yours. The brain from biology. Your homies from homeroom. It’s time for you to join the party.