MINT HILL, NC – On Sunday, May 21, Mint Hill celebrated 134 years of history with the dedication of a monument to Historic Bain Academy.

Established in 1889 by bachelor John Bain with the help of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, the original Bain Academy was a five-classroom building.  Atop the two-story building sat the iconic cast iron school bell that called students to class.  The school was an immediate boon to the community’s many families, who relied on private tutors or the kindness of local churches in order to provide their children with reading, writing and arithmetic instruction prior to its establishment.

Philadelphia Presbyterian maintained the school after Bain’s passing in 1897 at the age of 88, as well as his grave in the West Cemetery across from the site of Bain Academy marked by an obelisk bearing the inscription, “John Bain, the builder of Bain Academy, donated to Philadelphia Church, 1889. Long may his name live.”

In 1924, Philadelphia Presbyterian turned the school over to Mecklenburg County, and it continued to serve students from first grade through high school as Mecklenburg County’s first graded school.  Known for high quality academics, championship basketball teams, and cultural events, it was for many years one of only two schools in the county that prepared students for college or university in North Carolina.

The passage of time brought significant changes to Bain Academy.  In 1950, students in grades 10-12 were transferred to the new East High School, and when Northeast Junior High School opened in 1970, Bain became a 1-5 school.  Kindergarten was added in 1976.  Eventually, Bain Elementary School outgrew its original structure, and Historic Bain Academy sat empty when a new school opened in 2013.

For years, a small but dedicated group led by the late Commissioner Tina Ross worked to raise awareness and funds to restore and repurpose what remained of the Historic Bain Academy, but they were unable to raise enough funds to proceed with the restoration.  In November of 2018, Mint Hill’s citizens voted on a $2.5M public facility bond referendum to restore Bain school and an $18M bond for a new athletic/entertainment venue.  The bond referendum failed by a difference of only 560 votes, and the original building was demolished in the fall of 2020. 

With the dream of a restored Bain Academy gone, the preservation group elected to use a portion of the funds they had raised to build a lasting memorial to Historic Bain Academy.  Sunday’s event marked the unveiling of that monument as well as a bittersweet celebration of Bain Academy and what it has meant to its generations of graduates and the Mint Hill community as a whole.

Sunday’s program began with a welcome from Historic Bain Restoration Member and Philadelphia Church Officer Jerry Mullis and an invocation from Philadelphia Church Reverend Katie Sloan.  The event saw a long list of special guests: Bobby Long, current holder of John Bain’s “Bain Cane” and first Mayor of Mint Hill; Dr. Steve F. Bain and daughter Dr. Stephanie Bain, distant relatives of John Bain; Connor Fohr and family, who held the first fundraiser to preserve Historic Bain Academy; Allyson Ross Cathey (daughter of the late Tina Ross) and family; several of Mint Hill’s Commissioners; officers and members of Philadelphia Church; faculty, staff, alumni and retired teachers from Bain School; and officers and members from Mint Hill’s Chamber of Commerce, the Mint Hill Women’s Club, and the Mint Hill Historical Society.

The event included inspiring speeches from several individuals involved in the effort to preserve Bain Academy and bring the monument to fruition.  Diane Campbell, Clear Creek Militia DAR Regent, spoke about the importance of early education, and Dr. Steve Bain spoke about the Bain family’s legacy of leadership in early education.  Dr. Dan Morrill, Board Member of Preserve Mecklenburg and Former Director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission gave the keynote speech titled “The Importance of Remembering,” and AIA Architect Stefan Pienkny spoke about the evolution of the monument’s design.

The finished monument features handmade bricks from the old school set in a v-like pattern that represents an open book.  On the left panel sit the 1924 cornerstone and a bronze plaque honoring John Bain; on the right side is another bronze plaque featuring an image of the school as redesigned by Louis Asbury in 1924.  Securely mounted on the top of the right panel is the original cast iron bell, stored for many years by Philadelphia Church in its historical room.  The monument sits across the street from the site of the original school, just a stone’s throw from John Bain’s grave, where Philadelphia Church can oversee it indefinitely.

Sunday’s ceremony ended with Ross Cathey, grandson of Tina Ross, who fought so passionately for the restoration of Historic Bain Academy until her passing in 2018, ringing the historic bell.  Visibly overcome with emotion, Jerry Mullis brought the event to a close with the highest praise imaginable: “I just know that – I know Tina would be so proud.”

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An instructor and member of Mint Hill Arts for over seven years, Varma trained as an artist while studying for her Masters in Zoology in India. She is a Certified Mithila Painting artist and a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT).  Her subjects focus mainly on nature – landscapes, flowers, birds and animals. She uses oil paints, acrylic paints, and natural pigments for bringing out various hues and colors.

Mithila Painting is one of the things you’ll see at Town Hall.  An ancient art form hailing from the Mithila region of Bihar (India), it depicts people with bulging eyes and sharp noses on an intricate and detailed background.  “It is drawn freehand style using fine lines and vibrant colors,” explains Varma.  “Symbols and motifs are often used in this art and have their own importance and significance. Sun and Moon present themselves as witnesses to long life. Peacock and fish are symbols of love and prosperity. Lotus flower denotes good luck and feminine energy, and the bamboo depicts masculine energy.”

A creative soul at heart, Jain had never really considered “being an artist.”  Her formal studies revolved around English and computer applications, and it was only in 2013 that she began to take her art seriously.  “I started hanging my work in galleries and started my art shows,” she says.  “Finally I meant to be an artist and serve humanity with my creativity.”  

Jain has been a member of Mint Hill Arts for two years, throughout which she’s both displayed her work and won awards.  “Mint Hill Arts not only gives [me] a platform but also encourages various arts and artists to showcase,” she explains.  “I find it a very distinct quality of Mint Hill Arts, which makes it more special.”  As an artist, Jain enjoys playing with different medius, and the work displayed in Town Hall reflects this with watercolors, pyrography (wood burning), textured art, landscape, figures, and more.

“Indian Roots” represents a different type of artwork than you may be used to seeing on display at Mint Hill Arts and in Town Hall.  “We try to provide a variety of different mediums, styles and techniques in order to make the exhibits more interesting,” says Judy Mizell, who manages Mint Hill Arts’ Town Hall exhibits.  “This is also an opportunity to give some of our talented members a great showcase to display their work.  This particular exhibit spotlights some of the diversity in our artist community and the beauty and symbolism of another culture.  It’s part of our ongoing efforts at Mint Hill Arts to bring art to the community.”

“Art has a universal language. The beauty that manifests itself though the effort of the artist has an appeal that transcends culture and regions. Art broadens our perspective and helps us in appreciating the beauty that the artist wishes to expose through their work. Art helps build a platform that enables diverse art forms and artists from different backgrounds to come together, admire, be amazed and thrive in the collective impact that artists generate through their work.”

– Rupam Varma, Artist

“Art has a universal language,” adds Varma.  “The beauty that manifests itself though the effort of the artist has an appeal that transcends culture and regions. Art broadens our perspective and helps us in appreciating the beauty that the artist wishes to expose through their work. Art helps build a platform that enables diverse art forms and artists from different backgrounds to come together, admire, be amazed and thrive in the collective impact that artists generate through their work.”

For Jain, it’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to share a different type of art with Mint Hill.  “ I want people to understand the depth of Indian folk art and its variety,” she says.  “The world needs more harmony within, and that’s why it’s very important that people understand and learn about different cultures without judging, and I think art is the best medium for that.” 

“We hope you will come in and view this exhibit and experience some of the beauty and culture of India as seen through the eyes of these two artists,” encourages Mizell.  The exhibit will be up until mid-July and can be viewed in the gallery at the back of Town Hall (both upstairs and downstairs) during regular business hours Monday through Friday.  Mint Hill Arts’ next quarterly exhibit, will feature the work of four of member photographers who have all won awards for their work.

The post Mint Hill Arts Announces Quarterly Exhibit “Indian Roots” first appeared on Mary Beth Foster, Writer.

Encouraged by the school’s Dean of Students, Sanlo came up with the idea for a “Lavender Graduation,” a ceremony that would honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally students and acknowledge both their achievements and contributions to the University.  

The first Lavender Graduation ceremony was held at the University of Michigan in 1995 with three students, but the idea caught on, and by 2001, there were over 45 Lavender Graduation ceremonies held at colleges and universities nationwide.

On Wednesday, May 10, Time Out Youth Center joined colleges, universities and other institutions both here in North Caroline and throughout the country in hosting its eighth annual Lavender Graduation.

“Tonight’s ceremony is very special because too many times your identities are ignored or faulted rather than uplifted and celebrated,” said Time Out Youth Community Engagement Manager Haeley Robinson in her welcome.  “Our space is designed to ensure you each have your voices heard and that you can show up as your full, authentic selves . . . Whether today is your first day at Time Out Youth or you’ve been involved for ten years, Time Out Youth is here to support you through the tough times and to celebrate your accomplishments too.”

Time Out Youth Center offers support, advocacy, and opportunities for personal development and social interaction to LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24.  Its mission is to inspire inclusive communities where all youth are equally empowered to reach their true potential.

Creating safe spaces for self expression through leadership, community support and advocacy is part of Time Out Youth’s mission, and Robinson congratulated this year’s Lavender Graduates on the inspiring steps they have already taken as leaders and advocates at such a young age.  

“Watching you all engage in your schools, resist anti-LGBTQ policies, raise awareness to LGBTQ+ issues at schools, and just by living your truth and by being your authentic selves has inspired all of us here at Time Out Youth,” she said.  “You’ve deepened your relationships with administration and forged your way to inclusion on campuses. Thank you for what you do for your school communities, your peers, and other young people seeing a place to call home.”

“We are all so grateful for each and every one of you,” said Robinson in closing.  “We see your triumphs and your hardships. We recognize your successes. Many of you have faced great struggles to make it to this room today. Your bold tenacity in the face of those struggles is inspiring, and we are so proud of you.”

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Conceived of by Mint Hill Medical Center President Joy Greear, the wall uses photographs to allow the viewer to step back in time and experience a day in the life of the Mint Hill as it was as far back as 1760.  But shortly after the hospital opened, Greear noticed a problem with the wall: it depicted only one facet of Mint Hill’s history and failed to reflect the diverse cultures and experiences present both in Mint Hill’s history and its present-day population.

“The original Mint Hill timeline wall represented a historical step back in time created to allow visitors and team members a way to experience a day in the life of the people and places that influenced Mint Hill,” said Breast Imaging Center Supervisor Jennifer Osley at the wall’s unveiling on May 8.  “We soon realized not all of the people and places were represented on our timeline.  Joy had a vision for a project to recreate a timeline that captured the cultural richness that exists in Mint Hill.”

Acute Care Rehabilitation Services Manager Lisa Johnson headed a professional support services team tasked with updating the wall.  Her team included Osley, Executive Administrative Assistant Avon Graves, Public Safety Services Manager Captain Kendolyn Wright, Environmental Services Director Terrence Martino, and President of the Mint Hill Historical Society Reverend Stan Davis.

“We didn’t want to just find pictures that had African Americans and just put them up there. We wanted to form the relationships, get to know the history of Mint Hill.” 

– Lisa Johnson, Acute Care Rehabilitation Services Manager

Together, they embarked on a year-long journey through Mint Hill’s history that involved research, interviews and field trips.  “We didn’t want to just find pictures that had African Americans and just put them up there,” said Johnson.  “We wanted to form the relationships, get to know the history of Mint Hill.”  

At the Charlotte Museum of History, the team learned the history of Rosenwald Schools, which were built during the early 1900s as part of a nationwide initiative set to bring education to the rural underserved communities of the South.  They visited the humble grave site near Queen’s Grant Community School where many slaves were laid to rest.  They interviewed Reverend Davis and others in the community to get an accurate idea of what a day in the life looked like for Black families in Mint Hill over the past two and a half centuries.  

It wasn’t always easy to find the information they sought.  The team relied in large part on the Mint Hill Historical Society; like the original wall itself, the Historical Society simply did not have a wealth of information about Black history in Mint Hill.  Of course, many Mint Hill residents who could tell the team directly what life was like in the early and even mid-1900s have passed on, and physical records, including genealogy and photographs – especially candid ones – were hard to come by.

“There was not a lot to pull from at the historical society that represented Black history in Mint Hill,” admitted Davis.  “At first it looked like it might be the Long family and two or three pictures,” he says, referring to Long Family Mortuary Service led by Lem and Beamon Long and William Aery.  Long Family Mortuary Service was established to serve the Black community of Mint Hill in 1947.

But Greear wasn’t satisfied with that, and neither was the team.  The product of a year of work, the revitalized Cultural Wall includes 14 additional photos that represent the historical diversity of Mint Hill.  The new wall includes Long Family Mortuary Services alongside McEwen Funeral Service and Henderson Grove Rosenwald School next to Historic Bain Academy.  It depicts students who attended Clear Creek Union Colored School, the Old Philadelphia Church second site slave cemetery, groups like the Heart to Hand Mason Group and Gunn Home extension and people of the community like Ike Dunn, Curlee Moore, Milas Johnson, and the McGill and Stafford families.

Representation matters.  Adding these Black faces, Black stories, to the Cultural Wall has not gone unnoticed by the hospital’s staff nor the community at large.

“It meant a lot to me because I honestly felt embarrassed when I would see Black people in the community come by and have lunch and look at the wall and they didn’t see that representation,” said Graves, “and so to have that up there, it means the world to me because I want to see me in these halls.”

“I felt the same way,” added Captain Wright.  “I know that Mint Hill wasn’t an absolutely white community, and we’re a very diverse hospital.”

But it was the reaction of the community gathered to watch the wall’s unveiling that showed its true impact.  The hallway outside the cafe was packed on May 8, and as the team began to see nods and hear murmurs of assent as they mentioned people and places that had been added, that’s when they realized: they’re all here.  The families and descendents of the new faces added to the wall had all come for the unveiling at Reverend Davis’ invitation.

“When that plastic came down, their faces told the whole story,” Reverend Davis said.  “It was so cool to see the people come up her and be like, ‘Oh, that’s my aunt, that’s my grandma!’” added Johnson.  “It really made a difference for them.”  

Revitalization of Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center’s Cultural Wall was made possible by funding from the Novant Health Foundation.  Visitors are welcome to visit the Cultural Wall located outside the cafe any time before 7:30 pm.  Please note that the cafe closes at 6:00 pm daily.

The post Novant Mint Hill Medical Center Updates Historical Wall first appeared on Mary Beth Foster, Writer.

Junior Sam Turner will be attending Governor’s School for English.  “It’s always been one of my strong suits,” says Turner.  “It’s always been something that I’ve been interested in, a passion of mine.”

“I have people in my family who are writers,” continues Turner, “so I probably derived a lot of my interests from them. I know my writing style comes from my uncle,” he adds, noting that although his uncle currently works in insurance, he’s been a longtime writer who publishes some of his shorter works online.  “I will sometimes see some of that work, and it inspires me to kind of follow suit.  He’s the person who’s primarily inspired me to pursue the field further.”

Although he’s nervous about keeping up with what’s sure to be a significant workload, Turner looks forward to spending a chunk of his summer honing his craft at Meredith College.  “I know people who have gone into the program have gotten a lot of value out of it,” says Turner.  “They say it’s one of the best experiences that a student can get, so that makes me very excited for it.”

Sophomore Nathan Verret will be attending Governor’s School for Instrumental Music.  A bass clarinet player since the seventh grade, Verret has been chosen for several honor bands and clinics in his first two years of high school.  Verret was nominated for Governor’s School by Queen’s Grant Director of Music Ensembles Chad Turner.

Verret was also encouraged to apply by Senior Trombone Player Micah Burkheimer, who attended Governor’s School for Instrumental Music last summer.  “Micah has been to Governor’s School, and he told me his experience was really good, so that encouraged me to do it,” says Verret.

Verret is excited to spend four weeks of his summer at Meredith College.  “I think that it’ll actually be kind of cool, because it’ll be like a college experience almost,” says Verret.

A rising junior, Verret isn’t sure yet where the future will take him.  While he sees music in his life, he doesn’t necessarily foresee becoming a professional musician and thinks about keeping the clarinet as a hobby while he works in the business world.  “Honestly, I’m still figuring it all out!” he says.  

Congratulations to Sam Turner and Nathan Verret on their accomplishment!

The post Queen’s Grant High School Students Accepted for North Carolina Governor’s School first appeared on Mary Beth Foster, Writer.

McAlister began teaching Spanish at Queen’s Grant last year and added an introductory Italian class this year.  “I grew up in Italy,” explains McAlister.  “I did all of my elementary and middle school there in the North in a little town called Casale Monferrato.  Casale was a big city in the middle ages but lost its value after the importance of the Po river declined.”

Queen’s Grant High School is a public charter school located in Mecklenburg county that follows North Carolina’s “Future Ready Course of Study.” Under this course of study, students entering grade 9 beginning in 2021-2022 are required to obtain two elective credits for graduation; world languages is one option alongside arts education and career and technical education.  

Queen’s Grant is not the first school in the state to offer Italian – Durham and Wake Counties have consistently offered Italian for years, and it has been offered occasionally in other districts around the state – but it remains a rare elective offering.  According to statistics provided by NCDPI, there were 150 students enrolled in Italian in NC for the 2018-2019 school year compared to 270,600 enrolled in Spanish, the state’s most popular world languages offering.

It’s a program that McAlister and Queen’s Grant Principal Josh Swartzlander are excited to be able to offer to Queen’s Grant’s students.  “We may not be the first to offer it, but we don’t know of any other schools nearby,” says Swartzlander.  McAlister hopes to grow the program, adding second and third level Italian classes in coming years.  “Next summer we’re hoping to take a group to Italy,” he adds.

On Thursday, March 3, McAlister’s Italian students joined Henkel’s World History and Latin students to make pizza dough from scratch.  Groups of four worked together to mix and knead a basic dough using flour, salt, yeast and water, sealing the dough in a tupperware container to rise and eventually become a pizza for four.

“Pizza is a traditional dish form Southern Italy,” explained McAlister.  “It originally comes from the Neapolitan region.  It’s often known as a worker’s food because it’s something that you can take on the go.  You can fold it into fours, and it would be a handy meal that you could grab and go.”

McAlister’s and Henkel’s classes made “Pizza Margherita,” a dish named in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy, wife of Vittorio Emmanuele.  Legend has it that in an attempt to win favor with her new subjects, the queen selected a pizza that highlighted the colors of the Italian flag: red tomato sauce, white mozzarella and green basil.  The simple pie is still known today as the “Margherita.”

“What we know of pizza is from Naples, but every civilization we know had a flatbread,” adds Henkel, explaining the connection to Latin.  “The Romans had the pitta, which is where we get the term pizza.”

On Monday, March 7, the students once again convened outdoors around Henkel’s portable propane pizza oven.  With temps that can get up to 950 degrees, the students were enjoying authentic Italian pizza in under two minutes.  Pizza making proved a great way to immerse students in interdisciplinary, hands-on learning!

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The brutal, historic-sized Category 4 storm with winds topping out at 150 mph weakened to a tropical depression before it hit the Carolinas over the weekend, but a forecasted “washout” for the weekend meant several anticipated local outdoor events had to be canceled or rescheduled.

One event that had to be canceled due to forecasted weather was the Tina Ross Afternoon in the Park.  A tribute to the memory of late Commissioner Tina Ross, Afternoon in the Park features work from local artists, artisans and crafters in front of Town Hall.  This even is rescheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2023.

Another event that had to be postponed was Mint Hill’s 3rd Annual Oktoberfest sponsored by Pour 64 and 1st Choice Properties.  The event will now take place on October 22, the next day that German food truck Strudelteig is available.

“Oktoberfest had to be rescheduled due to Hurricane Ian,” said 1st Choice Properties Owner Anna Granger.  “We are very sad about having to postpone this fun event but truly need a beautiful day to make it as fun as possible.  We realize that Mint Hill Madness is on the same day,” continued Granger, “but we will make the best of it and hope people can attend both since Mint Hill Madness is not just on one day.”

Oktoberfest will likely begin around 1:00 pm on October 22 and will end in time to catch the Mint Hill Madness fireworks show.  Pour 64 will remain open until 10:00 pm.  “We are hoping for great weather later in October,” says Granger.  “No other changes – just more time for all to prepare and pick out fun costumes!”

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Reaching the final stages of construction next to Mint Hill Middle School, Mint Hill Elementary is slated to welcome its first students in the fall.  As they began to count down to the grand opening, Mint Hill Elementary asked its future students for help in selecting a mascot for the new school. 

Nine-year-old Aliyah Ahmed, who currently attends Bain Elementary, put forth for consideration the “underrated” manatee.  She’d seen a picture of one on the internet, but she didn’t know much about them.  The more she learned, the more she was convinced they were the perfect mascot for her new school.  The manatee lends itself naturally to the school’s selected colors, sky blue and silver.  It’s cuddly, peace-loving nature is the perfect “vibe” for an elementary school.  And what better to embody the idea of a “champion” than an animal facing the threat of extinction?  

Aliyah was one of about 60 students to submit a choice for the school’s new mascot.  Nominees included everything from real animals like manatees and dolphins to mystical creatures like unicorns.  Those 60 were narrowed down to 10 in an online vote, and the ten finalists were then presented for a second round of voting.  Aliyah’s dad Kashif was her biggest cheerleader throughout this process, utilizing social media to encourage everyone to vote for Aliyah.  

With support from her dad and the community, Aliyah made it to the top ten!  On May 15, Mint Hill Elementary Principal Frederick “Rick” Mohrien announced the winner at a Meet & Greet at a local park.  As another future Mint Hill Elementary student reached in a box and pulled a stuffed manatee from it, Mohrien announced, “We will officially be the Mint Hill Manatees!”

Aliyah was thrilled to make such an impact on her future school.  “It felt really good,” she said.  “I thought maybe that will be that mascot for a hundred years!  It made me really excited.”

For Aliyah’s dad, it was a proud moment to see his daughter accomplish her goal.  “It was awesome just to see her leave her legacy at such a young age,” he said.  “I grew up here in Matthews,” he adds, “and when Lebanon Road Elementary first opened up, I was the first class to go there.  They had a mascot challenge, and Leo the Leopard was actually my idea.  It was really fun to see the same thing happening with my youngest daughter.  It’s a proud moment for all of us, and more important, just to see her face when she won.” 

The post Mint Hill Elementary Selects New Mascot: The Mint Hill Manatees! first appeared on Mary Beth Foster, Writer.

Planning a reunion in the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat.  Originally planned for April of 2021, the committee made the decision to reschedule for the fall when things began shutting down in the spring of 2021.  In the fall, however, the omicron variant arrived on the scene, and the committee was forced to reschedule again.  Over a full year from the original date, the reunion is finally set to happen!

Kristy Miller Eddelman and Jane Marcel Rhodes, both members of the Class of ‘71, have fond memories of their time at Independence.  They recall being taught by a young, diverse and enthusiastic faculty led by Principal Sam Haywood, whom they both still admire.  The Independence of the early 70s was a “smaller school” where everybody knew everybody because they’d grown up in the same neighborhoods and attended school together since kindergarten.  Both Kristy and Jane have warm memories of football games, pep rallies, senior breakfast, prom, military ball, and a formal Christmas Banquet on “the mall.”

But the 70s were also a turbulent time for Independence.  In the wake of Federal District Court Judge James McMillan’s 1969 verdict, which noted that almost every black student attended schools that were entirely black, CMS began busing students as a means of integrating schools.  “We were the senior class the year they desegregated the schools,” said Kristy.  “They didn’t give seniors the choice not to move.  We lost a lot of classmates to Garinger and West Charlotte during our senior year, and we also gained a lot of people from East Mecklenburg.”

Some of the ensuing changes were logistical.  “When we were sophomores and juniors, our letter girls spelled out ‘Independence,’” recalls Kristy, “but senior year we spelled out ‘Independence Patriots’ because we gained so many girls from other schools!”  Clubs that used to meet in the evening began meeting during the day because kids being bused in from West Charlotte couldn’t come back at night for meetings.

Other changes were harder to weather.  Kristy and Jane remember things getting heated and ultimately violent when Independence played West Charlotte in football.  For the two women, busing also meant losing friends they’d been in school with for eleven years.  Ultimately, the pair remembers that busing changed the dynamic of Independence, resulting in less community and school spirit.

But ultimately, the pair remembers the good times, hijinks sure to be relived at the 50th reunion.  “We’ll always remember the friendships we made, the crazy things we did that we probably wouldn’t have gotten by with today if we tried!” says Jane, recalling a classmate who got caught trying to skip school by hiding in the boot of someone’s convertible.  “I’m sure many of these memories will be relived at the reunion!”

Fifty years down the line, those friends still find ways to connect.  “We try to have big reunions every five years,” says Kristy.  “We’ve also celebrated major milestones like our 50th and 60th birthdays.  We have informal get togethers – when Billy Kiser (Class of ‘71) owned Penny’s Place, he would open it up to use once or twice a year.”

Nowadays, it’s relatively easy to keep in touch with former classmates via email and social media, but keeping up with reunions for five decades is quite remarkable when you realize Kristy and Jane graduated two decades before the first website of any kind went live.  “We’re lucky that a lot of people still live here in the Mint Hill area,” says Kristy, who remembers calling her former classmates’ home phone numbers in search of them.  Now they post in various Mint Hill groups to get the word out, but tracking people down – especially women who may have married more than once – can still be tricky.  

Nevertheless, Kristy and Jane work hard to find everyone they can, including the kids who were bused away and the ones who were bused in their senior year.  At the end of March, they had over 100 people signed up to attend the reunion, but they’re still hoping to get more.  If you’d like to purchase tickets, email info@independencehighclassof71.org.  Tickets are $75 each, which includes dinner.

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” says Jane, “but we can pick right up where we left off if we don’t see each other for 6 months or 50 years.  There’ll be lots of stories about high school, but also stories about kids and grandkids.  Your ten-year reunion is kind of a competition to see who accomplished what in ten years, but by the time you get to the 50th, you’re just so glad to be on this side of the grass!” she laughs.  “This is probably the last great hurrah as far as a big reunion goes.  We just want everyone that can to come.”

The post Independence High School Classes of ‘71 And ‘72 Plan 50th Reunion first appeared on Mary Beth Foster, Writer.