JTHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
EVENTS UPCOMING

2008

SAVE THE DATE! GREAT EVENTS FOR ALUMNI!

• JTHS Foundation Annual Brent Wadsworth Golf Outing. The date for 2008 is Friday, July 18 th, at Wedgewood Golf Club. Shotgun start at 8:30AM. Entry fee of $120.00 entitles golfers to greens fees and cart; complimentary breakfast and refreshments at the turn; commemorative golf shirt; delicious steak dinner; door prizes and awards for at least three flights of golfers.

For more information and/or to make reservations, call (815) 727-6967.

• JTHS Alumni Choir will perform this summer at the Bicentennial Park as part of the Concert on the Hill musical series. On Thursday, July 31, the alumni choir will participate in the evening’s program as a salute to the members of the Class of 1958 who will be in attendance as the kickoff of a weekend of 50 th reunion activities. Concerts begin at 6PM with the playing of the National Anthem and the Raising of the Colors.  
  
  
• JTHS Alumni Band will join the JTHS Alumni Choir onstage at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park for the Concert on the Hill on Thursday, July 31, in celebration of the 50 th class reunion of the Class of 1958. See above.

• JTHS Alumni Association’s Homecoming “Welcome Back” Party will be held at 7PM Friday, October 3, 2008, at Heroes West. An abundant and very tasty variety of complimentary hors ‘d oeuvres will be served throughout the evening. Cash bar. Cost is just $5.00 per person at the door.  

• JTHS Steelmen Homecoming Game Saturday October 4, 2008 at Joliet West stadium. The Steelmen will play Sandburg at 1PM. Tickets are available at the stadium.

JTHS REUNION CALENDAR 2008/2009

To all 2008/2009 reunion coordinators for Central, East and West: The JTHS Alumni Relations office looks forward to hearing from you as you plan your respective reunions. Get the information to us and we will assist you by answering your questions, helping to locate classmates, providing class lists from the alumni online directory and posting your information on the JTHS web site.

CLASSES that meet monthly for either breakfast, lunch or dinner:

*Class of 1941 and Class of 1942 meet together for lunch on the third Monday at 11:30AM at Al’s Steak House. Contact Ernie Serena at (815) 725-2844.

*Class of1962 meets for lunch at Al’s Steak House on the first Tuesday. All classmates are welcome to attend. RSVP to Paula Skiotes at (815) 744-4601.

*Class of 1963 meets on Tuesday evenings for dinner. Contact Ken Skinner at (815) 254-2797 or by email at skinner369@sbcglobal.net.

REUNIONS:

Classes hosting anniversary reunions in 2008:

Class of 1943JT – August 23 – 65 th Reunion

Class of 1944 JT – October 18 – 64 th Reunion

Class of 1953 JT – 55 th Reunion – Sept. 19 - Sept. 20

Class of 1958 JT - Celebrating 50 years summer of ‘08! Many weekend activities including a tour of the high school, a gala banquet, a concert and much more are being planned for July 31 through August 3. Information is posted on the JTHS web site. Contact Gary Lichtenwalter at garylichtenwalter@comcast.net or the JTHS Alumni Relations Office at (815) 727-6763.

Class of 1967JTW – Missed its 40 th reunion in ‘07 and planning “41 st Reunion”

Class of 1968 JTC – 40 th Reunion Dates TBD

Class of 1968 JTW – 40 th Reunion – October 3 and October 4

Class of 1973JTW - 35th Reunion – October 11

Class of 1978 JTC – 30 th Reunion – August Dates TBD

Class of 1978 JTW – 30 th Reunion – October 3 thru October 5

Class of 1983 JTE – 25 th Reunion – Dates TBD

Class of 1984 JTC – 25 th Reunion - August 8, 2009

Class of 1987 JTC – 21 st Reunion “Better Late Than Never” Reunion Sept. 13

Class of 1988 JTW – 20 th Reunion – Oct. 3, 4, 5

Class of 1993 JTC – 15 th Reunion – August 1 & 2

Class of 1998 JTC – 10 th Reunion – July 18 and July 19

JT EAST ALL-SCHOOL REUNION AND FAMILY PICNIC
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” – JT East All-School Alumni Reunion in the picnic area of the Silver Cross Field and tickets to the Joliet Jackhammers game.

Calling all Kingsmen and their families!  Prior to the game, enjoy a picnic buffet under the tent featuring an all-you-can-eat menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, soft drinks, etc. Gates open at 6:05PM and game time is 7:05PM.

The Jackhammers will play the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The JT East Kingsmen will be named on the scoreboard and on the stadium’s PA system!

Cost includes picnic buffet and tickets to the game as follows:

1. $23.00 per person for adults
2. $19.00 for children 12 years of age and under
3. Free for children two years old and under

1. NOTE: It’s not too late to reserve your tickets. Call the Alumni Relations Office for reservation information. All tickets will be at the Jackhammers Will Call window for pick-up on the night of the game, Saturday, August 30, 2008. Jackhammers ticket tellers will have the JT East reservation list.

VERY IMPORTANT! Please remember! The JTHS Alumni Relations Office needs the updated contact information for all Kingsmen—if you have married, changed your name, and/or moved. Please call the JTHS Alumni Relations Office to make sure your address is up-to-date to receive reunion and event mailings. Contact Lynne at (815) 727-6763 or by email: llichtenauer@jths.org. Updated reunion information will be posted as it arrives and can be located on the JTHS website: www.jths.org (click on Alumni, then Reunions). Thank you.

“Silent Conversations” – Book of Poetry

Author: Elizabeth A. Briick – Class of 1999 JTC

Publisher: Publish America

ISBN: 1-60441-379-4

Price $14.95  

Silent Conversations is a compilation of the many events that have taken place in the author’s life. These are the words she could not express out loud regarding death, love, happiness, family and, becoming a single mother. Some are secrets even she could not have admitted until now. Contained within these pages are her daydreams, when that is what she needed to get through her day, her outpourings of pain and loss, her frustrations and ranting, and her happiness and what causes her to smile. She lays them out here for the reader to pick up and hear her. Her only hope is that her readers walk away and take something with them, comfort or relief. That the words she has written will show her readers that they are not alone in this world and that we all share a common thread.

Elizabeth A. Briick is a single mother to a very enigmatic six-year-old boy. She obtained her paralegal degree from Robert Morris College in 2005 and currently works full time as a paralegal/secretary in Joliet.

Silent Conversations is currently only available through online purchase at www.barnes&noble.com; www.Amazon.com; and www.borders.com as well as the publisher’s website at www.publishamerica.com.

JTHS ALUMNI CHOIR TO SING THIS SUMMER 2008!

The JTHS Choir Alumni Association is pleased to announce that the Alumni Choir will perform this summer as part of the Bicentennial Park’s annual Concert on the Hill series. On Thursday, July 31 st, the choir will participate in the evening’s program as a salute to members of the Class of 1958 who will be in attendance as the kickoff of a weekend of 50 th reunion activities. Lynne Lichtenauer, JTHS Alumni Relations Director, will be the evening’s emcee. For more information, please call the JTHS alumni office at (815) 727-6763.

JT EAST KINGSMAN - DAVID STUKEL

FOURTEEN

THE MURDER OF DAVID STUKEL

BY BILL O’CONNELL

“Forty years ago, at 835 Hill Street in Bill O'Connell’s hometown, something transpired that was terrible beyond words.  But O'Connell — haunted by what happened that day — has given it words: thoughtful, precise, passionate words that seek to honor a stolen life, and to answer the question of how and why such a thing could have taken place.  He brings humanity and dignity to a day that appeared to have neither, and to the darkest of corners brings light.”

— Bob Greene, author of two New York Times bestsellers

“Meticulously reported, written with great passion and delivered in intensely personal fashion, Bill O’Connell’s Fourteen is a chilling true crime tale filled with a cast of compelling characters whose lives changed forever one bloody day long ago.”

— Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune columnist

“Bill O'Connell has done the impossible by combining the passion of a great story teller with the detachment of an equally capable reporter in a brilliantly executed, though disturbing tale of life and death in the heartland.”

— Mark Vancil, editor of three New York Times bestsellers

“Fourteen” will be published soon, so I am seeking your help in promoting advance sales.

If you are in a book club, please consider “Fourteen” for your next book. If you have friends or co-workers who are in book clubs, please tell them about “Fourteen.”

Anyone interested in “signing up” for “Fourteen” can contact me at:  

ocbooks@mac.com

or

Bill O’Connell 2 E. Erie St. #2404, Chicago IL 60611  

Paperback: $19.95 Hardcover is $29.95

(Include street / e-mail address; DO NOT write checks until shipping costs are determined)

Peace,
Bill O’Connell

JTHS ALUMNI CHOIR ASSOCIATION NEWS!

The JTHS Alumni Choir made its debut as part of the JTHS centennial celebration when 152 singing voices performed together at the Bicentennial Park’s Concert on the Hill series. On a warm summer evening, the alumni choir was welcomed by a crowd of nearly 3,000.  

Following this exciting evening, the JTHS Choir Alumni Association was formed on September 10, 2002 with the purpose of promoting the alumni choir; to perform in concerts, and to provide the same sense of pride choir members felt singing as participants in the Joliet Township High Schools choral programs. The alumni choir last performed in concert with the JTHS alumni band in June of 2005.  

And here is the good news! This is an exciting organization with more performances in its future. Following a hiatus and with renewed energy and enthusiasm, the Alumni Choir is planning a concert performance for the summer of 2008. All JTHS graduates who sang in the choral groups at East, Central and West, you are invited to sing again. Whether you are an active or casual singer, or if you now just sing in the shower, or are “singing for your own enjoyment,” we want you to come sing with the alumni choir. Voices are needed that want to sing for the pure joy of it and have fun!  

At a recent meeting, the 2007 officers elected were President, Nancy Bokoski; Co-vice Presidents, Natalie Radakovich and Carolyn White; Secretary, Joan Lesnik, and Treasurer, Rosemarie Geschke. Members of the board of directors are Chris Daniels, Linda Trager, Bob Gutierrez, and Carolyn Cornwall.  

For more information, please contact White at (815) 727-3745 or Radokovich (815) 725-1963.

JTHS ARCHIVES GROUP PRESERVES RICH HISTORY  

Dedicated volunteers are preserving the history of the Joliet Township High Schools. Closets located on the third floor of the Central campus house the archives of JTHS, JT Central and JT East. Shelves are filled with piles of photographs (both framed and unframed,) graduation mementos and announcements, school newspapers, spirit items (mugs, pennants, pins, etc.) along with yearbooks, trophies, articles on school events, class rings and original doorknobs, and so much more. JT West memorabilia is housed on the West campus.  

Do you have any JTHS related materials in your attic, basement or garage? You can help preserve the past! Anyone who would like to donate memorabilia to the high schools’ archives may contact either archives committee member, Dick Dobbs at (815) 727-5144, or Lynne Lichtenauer, Alumni Relations Director, at (815) 727-6763. The Archives Committee is very happy to receive yearbooks from all campuses and all years as well as graduation programs, athletic programs, etc.  

Yearbooks for JT Central, JT East and JT West are always in great demand. Extra copies are sold to very appreciative graduates and the funds from the sales are used to support archives committee projects.

The Archives Committee also offers ideal gifts for students, staff and alumni such as a variety of Steelman jewelry to doorknob paperweights and Steelman statuettes. Contact Annette Dobbs (815/ 727-5144) for a price list of merchandise available.  

JTHS history is displayed in the archives section on the third floor of the JT Central campus in front of the auditorium’s balcony doors. You are welcome to come and visit the current display.  

Currently serving on the Archives Committee are Sandy Alaimo, Karen Blunk, Pat Boyle, Tony Contos, Annette and Richard Dobbs, Aimee Eichelberger, Eunice Frenk, Tana Gray, Diane Hartman, Dave Jaeger, Matt Kochevar, Mark Kroll, Rick Laib, Joan Lesnik, Nancy Louck, Tom Manley, Vince McGirr, Edin MacQueen, Betty Schuck and Craig Spiers.

FOUNDATION CHAIR PROGRAM

JT Graduate Robert Novak Returns to Alma Mater

BARBARA MARKELZ SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND

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JTHS CHOIR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
SINGING KINGSMEN…STEELMEN…TIGERS!

WANTED: All JTHS graduates who sang in any choral group at East, Central or West! You are invited to join the newly formed JTHS Alumni Choir.

The JTHS Alumni Choir made its debut during the JTHS centennial celebration when 152 singing voices performed at the Bicentennial Park. This is an exciting organization with more performances in its future. Whether you are an active or casual singer or if you now just sing in the shower, we invite you to come sing with the JTHS Alumni Choir. Voices are needed that want to sing for the pure joy of it and have fun…with emphasis on the fun!

On Sept. 10, 2002, at an organizational meeting, the JTHS Choir Alumni Association was formed. The purpose is to promote an alumni choir; to perform concerts, and to provide the same sense of pride choir members felt singing in any of the Joliet Township High Schools choral programs. Membership is open to anyone who is a graduate of the JTHS high schools and who sang in any high school choral group for a minimum of one year. A choir alumnus must be a paid member in order to sing in the concerts. However, you do not have to participate in the performances in order to be member.

Please fill out the form below. Make checks payable to the JTHS Choir Alumni Association. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact: Pat (Terlep) Desiderio at (815) 467-1977 or send her an email at patgram1@aol .com.

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Name (include maiden)_______________________________

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Address__________________________________________

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City___________________State_____Zip Code__________

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Phone ( )_______________E-mail_____________________

Graduation Year________Campus____________

Annual Membership $10.00______

Please send to:
JTHS Choir Alumni Association
c/o Nancy (Reeves) Coyne,
2616 Eagle Drive, Joliet, IL 60436.

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Lynne Lichtenauer
Director of Alumni Relations & Development
Joliet Township High Schools
201 E. Jefferson Street
Joliet, IL 60432

Office hours: Monday – Friday 9AM-5PM
Phone: (815) 727-6763
E-mail: llichtenauer@jths.org