TO: ALL LAHS AND LUS ALUMNI, STAFF AND FACULTY

JUST 21 DAYS UNTIL THE 2007 LAHS REUNION AT CAMP DARBY ITALY. Still time to snag those airline tickets and join the fun!

Below is information on signing up for the Reunion Tours and the Friday Reception and the Saturday Dinner. You may pick and choose from the tours, but note that tours on Friday and Saturday conflict to varying degrees with Reunion activities, so take a close look and decide which you would like to do. Note that for planning purposes, these events need to be reserved and paid in advance to the appropriate persons at Darby.

All alumni from all years, all past staff and faculty, and friends and family are invited. This reunion is only being publicized via email, so be sure to contact any of your compatriots who don't use email and let them know what's going on.

Through May 21 you can reach me at 626-359-2203 with questions, but after that I will be traveling and unavailable so please contact Steve Zglinicki, at Stephen.Zglinicki1@EUR.ARMY.MIL  or calling from the USA at  011-39-050-54-7650. Steve is a 1972 graduate of LAHS and is now retired from the military but still working at Darby, and he has kindly consented to serve as the reunion point of contact after I begin traveling.

SIGN UP FOR THE REUNION FRIDAY RECEPTION AND SATURDAY DINNER

The Darby Community Club Manager Mike Monti has arranged a great Reception for us at 1730 hours following the graduation ceremony. We will have various finger foods, soft drinks, and maybe even Mike's famous Crab Dip if we get lucky! We are hoping that we will have a good representation of teachers, parents, and students who will come over to celebrate with us after the Graduation and we will all share stories and reflections about our years at Darby and our feelings about the school closing.

The reunion dinner is scheduled for 1900 Hours Saturday, and will include salad, pasta, roast chicken, roasted potatoes, veggies, dessert, water, wine and coffee. Mike will spin some oldies for us from his extensive collection, and if you feel moved to dance then go for it!

It is necessary for alumni and their guests to make advance reservations for the Reception and Dinner to ensure that there is enough food for all, and the total cost for both events including tip is $43 per person.

Call Dianne Pasco as soon as possible but no later than May 31 2007 at 011-39-050-54-7855 during Darby business hours or E-mail her at dianne.pascoe@EUR.ARMY.MIL to make reservations and pay in advance by credit card for the reception and dinner events.

SIGN UP FOR TOURS

Check the tour schedule below and call Margaret Robbins as soon as possible but no later than May 31 2007 at 011-39-050-54-7589 during Darby business hours or E-mail her at robbinm@EUR.ARMY.MIL to make tour reservations and pay in advance by credit card for the tours that you intend to join. The tours depart from the ITR office near the Sea Pines on Darby, and when you call be sure to tell Margaret if you need for the tour bus to pick you up at the Golf where it can stop if requested in advance to pickup/drop off participants. Alumni are staying at several hotels in Tirrenia, but plan to make your way to the Golf because the bus won't be able to stop at other hotels.

Tues 5 June - Wine Tasting trip to Castello Panaretta.  Upon arrival at this 11th Century castle, you will receive a guided tour of the castle and wine cellars. You will then have the opportunity to taste some of the castle’s “Chianti Classico” wines accompanied by a light lunch of locally produced foods.  Bus departs at 0830 and returns by 1700 hours.  Cost is $20 for transportation plus €25.00 for lunch and wine tasting.

Wed 6 June - Cinque Terre Trip. Read any high-end travel magazine and you’re sure to come across an article on Cinque Terre.  Cinque Terre is a remote piece of the Italian Riviera consisting of 5 villages connected by trails that hug the coastline.  There are no museums in sight - just sky, sea and some great hiking.  You can hike the entire trail in about 4 hours, but give yourself 5 to enjoy the incredible view and explore the villages.  Trails are easy to follow with varying degrees of difficulty, but well worth your effort.  You can always skip a leg of the hike (or all of them) by taking the train or water taxi to the next village.  Pack a picnic lunch or grab a snack along the way.  Don’t forget to wear sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots.  A €5.00 train re-boardable day ticket not included in the price. Cost is $35 for adults and $29 for children 3-10 years.  Under 3 are free.

Thur 7 & 14 June - Rome Trip.  At your own pace, visit some of Rome’s most famous sites!  You’ll be dropped off near the Vatican Museum.  Check out St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican, the Vatican Museum (where you’ll find the Sistine Chapel), Castel Sant’Angelo and whatever else you can squeeze in!  Cost is $55 for adults and $49 for children 3-10 years.

Fri 8 & 15 June - Elba Island Trip. Elba is one of the three major islands off the Italian coast and is considered to be the most beautiful.  A paradise for nature lovers, it is surrounded by an unpolluted sea.  You can shop, swim, scuba, snorkel, go trekking or rent a scooter for a tour of the island.  The bus departs at 0730 and returns by 1930 hours.  Cost is $55 for adults, $49 for children 3-10 years of age and covers bus transportation, tour escort and ferry costs. (Now if you take this Elba trip on the 8th, you will miss the graduation ceremony scheduled for 4pm and the reception at 5:30pm, but that's your own call. Of course YOU might want to attend the graduation, and your SPOUSE will rather visit Elba.)

Fri 8 June– The final LAHS/LUS graduation is scheduled for Friday at 4:00pm, and there will be a reception following at 5:30pm for students, parents, faculty, and alumni.

Fri 8 & 15 June - Looking to spend Friday night on the town?  Let us do the driving!  Begin your evening with a dinner buffet (ladies eat for free ~ guys pay only 15.00) and dance the night away on the beach! Transportation cost is $15 per person.  *For adults only. (Note that this is a disco in Marina de Pisa, so the music might be a little 'young' for some of us)

Sat 9 & 16 June - Florence Guided Tour.  Enjoy a morning of shopping on the Ponte Vecchio for some of the world's finest gold (the store window displays will blow your mind!) or at the public market for some great deals on leather goods.  After spending all your money on gold and leather, take a 2 hour professionally guided tour of Florence.  Some of the sights you'll see include:  the Baptistry, Dante's house, Duomo Church, Giotto tower.  Bus departs at 0830 and returns by 1830.  Cost is $55 for adults and $49 for children 3-10 years.

Sat 9 June– Alternatively, relax and spend the morning and early afternoon at the beach soaking up the rays, then join your classmates in the afternoon at 4pm at the Community Center on base for some videos about growing up brat and also a clip of J Verna at this home in Sierra Vista Arizona. At 7pm we will have the traditional alumni and guest dinner and program. Note that you can take the Florence tour (above) and you will be back in time to enjoy the reunion festivities at 7pm.

Tues 12 June - Wine Tasting trip in San Miniato.  You’ll enjoy your stay in Villa “La Selva” where today, the Masini family lives.  You will receive a guided tour of the villa and the vineyards and then, have the opportunity to taste some of the area’s most prestigious wines accompanied by a light lunch of locally produced foods.  Bus departs 0830 and returns by 1700 hours.  Cost is $20 for transportation plus €24.00for lunch and wine tasting.

Wed 13 June - San Gimignano / Siena Trip.  For any visitor to Tuscany, the unforgettable towns of San Gimignano and Siena are a “must see”.  Spend a half-day in each city and then you decide which one is your favorite. Cost is $35 for adults and $29 for children 3-10 years.

Sat 16 June - Pisa Luminara.  The buildings on the banks of the Arno River are outlined in tens of thousands of candles.  The city is transformed into a magical nighttime wonderland.  Today, the Luminara is considered one of the major highlights of the year!  Cost is $10 per person.  Bus departs 1900 and returns at 2400 hours.

THE REUNION AGENDA -- A work in progress, so subject to change…

The week before – Arrive, settle in, link up with your classmates, hit the beach, take ITR Tours, or rent a car and do Tuscany on your own or with another couple. It's good to buddy up with others and rent a car since there is no bus service we can use between Tirrenia and Darby, and taxis tend to be expensive. And in the evenings don't forget the Theater at Darby with feature movies Wednesday through Sunday at 1800H.

Fri June 8 – 1:00 PM – Our Reunion Kick-off event. Meet at the High School for a Bus Tour of the Livorno Army Depot at Darby which stores and maintains equipment and ammo for a heavy brigade, ready for rapid shipment by air or sea to any hot spot around the world. Our Dads worked back there, and this is our chance to see the secure Depot area courtesy of Steven Zglinicki, LAHS '72.

Fri June 8 – 1:00 PM – While Group A is touring the Depot, Group B will be touring the High School, courtesy of Principal Cathy Magni. Then at about 1:45PM Groups A and B will swap tours.

Fri June 8 – 4:00PM – As in years past, this final LAHS/LUS Graduation will be held at the historic La Basilica di San Piero a Grado outside the East Gate. The church does not charge the school for use of the basilica, and voluntary donations to benefit the church will be accepted. As part of the graduation program there will be brief comments by Serge Sondak, Pat Kirylo, and Harry Heflin.

Fri June 8 – 5:30PM –  A reception with light snacks for all Alumni, Students, Faculty, Staff, and Parents at the Community Club. There will be an open microphone for those who wish to share reflections about the school.

Fri June 8 – Evening --  Grab a bite to eat at one of the many facilities on base, or catch the movie at the theater. Then just wander around among the umbrella pines and remember the way we were.

Saturday June 9 – Morning and early afternoon. Just three words: THE AMERICAN BEACH

Saturday, June 9 – 4:00 PM – It's home video time at the Community Club, featuring some special LAHS and brat-related video clips, including visiting J Verna at his home in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Not to be missed, and the Club bar is open!

Saturday June 9 – 6:00 PM – A No-Host Happy Hour at the Community Club. Just purchase your Happiness at the bar.

Saturday June 9 – 7:00 PM Reunion Alumni Dinner, door prizes, presentation, and other festivities at the Community Club. Maybe even some music and dancing! Pat Kirylo '72 is coordinating the dinner and Chris Rockey '78 is putting together the PowerPoint LAHS memories slide show.

Week following – More beach, more tours, and more of everything that Tuscany has to offer, all at your own pace.

FAX/SCAN/PHOTOGRAPH PASSPORT PAGES FOR SECURITY CLEARANCE

To initiate the security clearance that everyone needs to enter Camp Darby we need to provide an image of the first page of our passport well in advance and also advise them the period of time that we desire access to the base. This can present a bit of a challenge since passports are difficult to copy. Faxing works in a pinch, but it turns out to be much better to scan the passport or take a photo and send that via email to lahsitaly@earthlink.net. An image size of 50k or even 640 x 480 resolution seems to be sufficient. After May 21 this email address will be forwarded to Steve Zglinicki at Stephen.Zglinicki1@EUR.ARMY.MIL and he will see if he can help with your  clearance. But do it now, don't delay.

If you want to fax your passport, I'd recommend that you try to copy the front page using several settings of brightness, and then on the most legible resulting copy clearly print your name, passport number, and birthdate, and then fax that annotated copy to 815-301-1873. Also be sure to mention when you arrive and depart the Darby area since clearances are for a specific period. For late authorizations after May 21 this fax number will be forwarded directly to the proper individual at Darby, Mr. Alessandro Maccarini, Alessandro.Maccarini@EUR.ARMY.MIL and hopefully he will be able to process your access request in time.

To see your Darby access status, check the Who/Where link below.

LINKS

LAHS Alumni Home Page

Who Has Signed Up and Where They Are Staying