Sad News: Laura Mae Mitchell, Class Of '43, Dies

Gale Goodrich See passes along word that her mother -- Laura Mae Mitchell -- died this fall. She was 88.

As the attached obituary says, Mrs. Mitchell was a member of the LVCS Class of '43. She had lived in Las Vegas for more than five decades, but often came back to L.V. -- including for the 2013 Alumni Dinner.

Gale tells us her mother "really loved the Alumni and her class." There's an online version of her obituary posted here.

Sad News: Laurie Keenen Urbanski Dies

Laurie Keenen Urbanski -- daughter of Tom and Juanita Keenen; sister of Ann, Matt, Bernie, Charlie and Kevin; and a member of the Class of '75 -- died on July 30 after a long illness. She would have turned 56 on Aug. 3.

As the obituary in the Olean Times Herald notes, along with her mother, siblings and husband Dennis, Laurie is survived by "two sons, Jason (Holly Edwards) Urbanski and Jordan (Amanda Spaulding) Urbanski, both of Salamanca; [and] one grandson, Cole Urbanski of Salamanca."

According to the newspaper, "a memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday (Aug. 10, 2013) in [Salamanca's] Our Lady of Peace Parish with the Rev. Patrick Melfi officiating."

LISTEN: Ira Joe Fisher's Remarks At The 2013 Dinner

As promised, here's the audio of Ira Joe Fisher's very well received remarks at this year's dinner.

A couple notes:

-- The sound "fades in" as Kevin Andrew is introducing Joey. It takes 4-5 seconds to reach full volume.

-- If you'd like to share this with others, send them the link to this post or click the "share" button (the little arrow next to "like") in the box below for other ways to spread the sound around.

Enjoy:

WATCH THIS SPACE: For Audio Of Ira Joe's Remarks

The 2013 dinner is in the history books. This blogger is now back at his home base in Virginia and will aim to have the audio of Ira Joe Fisher's well-received remarks posted later this week. It was good to see everyone!

2013 Dinner Invitations Are Out

In case you haven't gotten yours yet or aren't on the Alumni Association's mailing list, here are the key details about this year's dinner and how to reserve your seat.

-- Date: Saturday, June 22.
-- Location: The gym at the LVCS building.
-- Times: The school will open at 4 p.m. for those who want to look around. The social hour starts at 5 p.m. (reminder: there's no alcohol being served). The dinner starts at 6 p.m.
-- The meals: Either stuffed chicken breast or Swiss steak. They come with garlic roasted potatoes and green beans.
-- The cost: $19 per person for the dinners.
-- The dues: $5 per alum.
-- Keynote speaker: Ira Joe Fisher, class of '65 (he's also going to be reading some of his poetry at the LV Memorial Library on Sunday the 23rd at 1 p.m. ET).
-- Where to send your reservation:
           Little Valley Alumni Association
           P.O. Box 162
           Little Valley, N.Y. 14755-0162
-- What information you need to provide:
           Your name
           Your class year
           Name of any guest you're bringing
           Which meal you want (the chicken is #1; the Swiss steak is #2). Be sure to order
                for your guest or guests too if you're bringing anyone.
-- Checks should be made payable to:
           LVCS Alumni Association
-- Be sure your check:
           Covers the cost of each dinner ($19 per).
           Includes your $5 dues.
-- You can also include in your check:
           Donations to the
                 Little Valley Central School Alumni Association General Fund
                       or
                 The Memmott-Langhans Scholarship Fund
           Just include a note about how much you'd like to give, and to which fund. Then add
                  that amount to the total on your check.

We'll see you on the 22nd!

Ira Joe Fisher Will Return As 2013 Dinner Speaker

Ira Joe "Joey" Fisher, Class of '65, will make a return appearance as the Alumni Dinner's keynote speaker at this year's get-together, President Kevin Andrew tells us.

Those who were at the dinner in 2007 will surely remember his speech that year. We expect to hear more tales of the good old days.

The dinner is set for June 22 and will again be in the school gym. On Sunday the 23rd, Joey's due to give a reading from his latest book of poetry (update at 9:50 p.m., the reading will be at the L.V. Library).

Kevin also reports that Alumni Association officers are starting to move the trophies, banners, photos and other school memorabilia that they've collected into a room at the school -- where everyone will hopefully be able to see it this June.