HOWLAND 1969 GET TOGETHER: The Howland High School Class of 1969 will hold its monthly get together at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Sunrise Inn, Warren. For more information, call Jeff Warzalaat at 330-638-8333 or Deb Grocott Gilger at 330-565-4880.
CORTLAND 1961 TO MEET: The Cortland High School Class of 1961 will meet for breakfast at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Perkins Restaurant on Elm Road, Warren.
THOMAS STRIP RETIREES MEET: Aug. 31 marked the 30th anniversary of retirement for the Gang of 82. A stag to celebrate was held at the Lone Star Restaurant at the Eastwood Mall.
On Aug. 31, 1982, 24 salary personnel at Thomas Strip Steel retired voluntarily under an "early retirement" offer.
There were 32 qualified to accept, and eight did not.
There were 17 men and seven women, including John Badanajek, Jim Barton, Ray Baskett, Betty Bingham, Francis Bunea, John Dillon, Earl Drummond, Rose Duganne, Art Dunkerton, John Dutken, Helen Farley, Bob Hosler, Dick Kell, Joe Kellar, Andy Kovalak, Herb Laukhart, Bob McNeilly, John Manofsky, Andy Ontko, Lou Pape, Edith Rich, Al Trimble, Betty Varner and George Duche.
Surviving of the seven women are Edith Rich and Rose Duganne.
This group organized as the "Thomas Gang of 82" and had annual get-togethers with a picnic, Christmas party and cookouts, as well as a September stag at Badanjek Ranch in Southington each anniversary, which continued until his death in 2006. Now the stag is a backyard get-together or at a restaurant with the remaining members. A Christmas party with spouses still continues.
Upon retirement, the male retirees started having breakfast once a month. This continues on the first Tuesday of the month. There are just four of the 17 surviving today, and they are joined by surviving early retirees from the year 1986, the other separate year that early retirement was offered. Members of the 1986 retirees joining are Chuck and Ed Marshall, John Brown and Dan Machuzak.
Joe Kellar was the organizer of eight supervisors that have joined weekly for breakfast for the past 30 years. He died in 2008, and now only three members of that group still survive but still meet weekly: Art Dunkerton, Herb Laukhart and Bob McNielly.