September 2022

Dear Classmates,

The PHS Class of 1970 2020 Reunion Committee formally ended its journey with the August Meet & Greet. We wish to thank those who were able to attend the evening as well classmates Rich Greer (painting), Ed Hathaway (photo on metal) and Fred Barbour (golf shirts) for their donations of raffle prizes. Photos from that evening have been posted both on the class website and Facebook.

It was determined over the past year that the committee needed to be mindful of its attempts to bring about a more complete reunion weekend which were thwarted by the advent of the Covid Virus for two years and look forward to 2025 with renewed energy and fresh perspective.  Committee members have taken on various responsibilities to allow a smooth transition from now to 2025.  New committee members are always welcome and if anyone would like to become involved, please reach out via the class email listed below.

It is important to share the fact that each reunion requires an incredible amount of effort that is provided by volunteers. Each person brings different experiences and ideas as well as the most valuable resource, knowledge of classmates. Since the fall of 2018 the current committee has been able to locate more classmates than ever before due to not only technology and social media, but more importantly, long lasting friendships and connections that have stood the test of time. Even the death of a classmate is important to learn as their name is listed on the website as a respectful gesture. Often there are questions posed to the committee asking about the whereabouts of a classmate and while contact information is not shared, there is an effort made to connect people if they so choose.

On behalf of Fred and Ann (Sorensen) Barbour, Pamela Gove, Bill Hankin, Ed Hathaway, Andy Jaffe, Nanci Lovett, Jim Miller, Nancy Nickerson, Peter Smart, Bill and Lee (Chandler) Clifford and the in absentia Rick Bean, we wish you the best of health and happiness. We hope to see you in 2025!

The current email address, class website and Facebook page will remain in place and committee members can be reached through any of those resources. They are each listed below.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: https://portsmouthhigh1970.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/PHS1970Reunion

August 20, 2020

Dear Portsmouth High School Class of 1970

As Mayor of Portsmouth - and member of the Class of 1990 - I am delighted to extend the hospitality of our City of the Open Door to you!

So many of you, like me, don't need a "welcome back" -you remain part of the breath and heartbeat of our city, carrying on the pledge we all made as Portsmouth Clippers to be resourceful, creative and contributing members of society. Because of that, I believe even those of you who now reside in another city, another state or another country have really never left. You are still part of the story that makes Portsmouth who we are.

That spirit explains, perhaps, why so many Portsmouth High School alumni have become the City's Mayors, members of the City Council, members of the Boards, Commissions and Mayors' Blue Ribbon Committees, volunteers who help our City shine. The awards and honors - historic destination, most walkable city, Tree City, restaurant town, eco-municipality and so on - all come from the hearts of many of us who learned life's lesson - to give back - at Portsmouth High. That was the inspiration behind the Clipper Strong Fund we created during the pandemic, to help those who might otherwise fall through the cracks.

So, as you celebrate your 50th anniversary, take time to look around Portsmouth. See what we've built together. Enjoy all the amenities - and the safe streets and smiling greetings from those you meet -­ and think about what made this home for you in the years leading up to 1970. They say that the best preparation for life should give you "roots and wings." If that's true, it's no wonder that you, fellow alumni from the Class of 1970, stand proud and fly high.

I look forward to welcoming you to your "5One" Reunion on October 1 and 2, 2021.

Please know that when I close each City Council meeting with the words "Stay safe, Portsmouth" that I've used since taking office- during the pandemic and now that we're living the 'new normal' - I'm thinking of you too, near or far. Stay safe; and stay Clipper Strong.

Very best regards,

Rick Becksted (Class of 1990)
Mayor

JUNE 2021 WELCOME LETTER

Website: portsmouthhigh1970.com
FB: Facebook.com/PHS1970Reunion
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dear Classmates and Friends,

The “5One Reunion” will be held on October 1 & 2, 2021 based on the current environment within the State of New Hampshire. We encourage anyone wishing to attend to make educated decisions about all aspects of their weekend. We have heard from many of you and we are looking forward to finally being able to see one another! Please register on the website!

WHO:      Former 1970 classmates who attended PHS at any time & Invited Guests.

WHAT:    Friday – Meet & Greet, no charge – food & beverage may be purchased
                Saturday – Cocktail Hour, Dinner, raffles & festivities
                $50.00 per person, cash bar (see on-line dinner reservation link below)

WHERE: Pease Country Club
                200 Grafton Drive, Portsmouth, NH. 03801

WHEN:   Friday, October 1, 2021 3-7 pm
                Saturday, October 2, 2021 5-9 pm

HOW:     With much planning, great camaraderie and generosity of many!

RSVP:     September 1, 2021

Check made out to: PHS Class of 1970 ($50.00 pp)

MAIL TO: PHS CLASS OF 1970, PO BOX 6, Portsmouth, NH, 03802-0006

April 27, 2020

Back row: Peter Smart, Bill & Lee (Chandler) Clifford, Nanci Lovett, Andy Jaffe, Ann (Sorenson) Barbour, Nancy Nickerson
Holding banner: Pamela Gove & Fred Barbour

Dear Fellow Classmates,

By now many of you may have heard that our reunion weekend scheduled for this coming August has been postponed until next year. While most of you will not be surprised and quite possibly relieved, we want you to know this was not an easy decision as this was to be a milestone reunion for us all. In light of so many unknowns the committee agreed the best decision was to postpone until next year. The deciding factors included the vulnerability of classmates due to our ages, lack of existence of a vaccine as well as state of the economy affecting many of our classmates on a fixed income and just the practicality of current social distancing modifications. Not knowing what “phase” the state of NH would be at in terms of reopening the non-essential businesses and activities were also considered.

There are several responsibilities involved with proceeding to postpone this event and the committee has been quite diligent in attending to those items. First and foremost, the class had a contractual arrangement with the Pease Golf Course for both Friday and Saturday evenings which the club has graciously allowed us to reschedule to next year. This has not been the case for other class reunions we have heard of and we are extremely grateful for their flexibility. Secondly, anyone who had prepaid ticket monies needed to be contacted to determine what their wishes were at this point in time. We are pleased to have contacted all concerned and will follow their instructions immediately.

The reunion committee met last Saturday morning at Pease to tie up loose ends and take individual and a group picture. Viewing in the Classmates / Reunion Committee is optional for one and all!

In closing, we wish you to know that the committee itself has put safeguards in place. Each member of the committee has a backup or coworker for their responsibilities. It would be foolish on our part not to realize anything can happen during the course of a year, especially after this winter and spring. While all the prep work has been completed for the reunion, there will always be changes and modifications to be done. The committee will resume in the fall to begin planning once again. The website and email address will remain in place and are monitored on a daily basis. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to be in touch. Please send in pictures!

We wish all of you the safest of journeys through this unbelievable time of our lives.

Sincerely,

Fred and Ann (Sorensen) Barbour, Pamela Gove, Andy Jaffe, Peter Smart, Nanci Lovett, Nancy Nickerson, Jim Miller, Rick Bean, Ed Hathaway, Bill and Lee (Chandler) Clifford

New dates: August 6 & 7, 2021
Website: portsmouthhigh1970.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

January 27, 2020

To the Portsmouth High School Class of 1970:

As the Executive Director of the Pease Development Authority, I welcome all members of the Portsmouth High School Class of 1970 back to the City of Portsmouth in August of 2020 for your 50^th Reunion!

While the Pease Development Authority did not exist in 1970, Pease Air Force Base did and I am sure many of you have ties to and memories of the property that is now the Pease International Tradeport and the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. As the City of Portsmouth has grown and changed over the past 50 years, so too has Pease since the closure of the Air Force Base in the early 1990’s. The Pease Tradeport is now home to a large number of diverse companies and businesses that employ upwards of 10,000 people in a wide variety of professions. The Pease Golf Course, where I understand some of your Reunion events will be held, is one of the premier golf courses in the region. The Portsmouth International Airport at Pease has demonstrated sustained growth over the years and provides a base for commercial and private air carriers, as well as serving as the home of the New Hampshire Air National Guard and the 133^rd Air Refueling Squadron. In short, Pease serves as a commercial, transportation, and recreational hub for the City of Portsmouth and the entire seacoast region.

Congratulations and welcome back! I encourage you to take a little time to visit Pease when in town this summer!

Sincerely,

David Mullen
Executive Director

Valerie Rochon
President and Chief Collaborator
Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth 500 Market St. 16A
Portsmouth, NH 03801

Dear Portsmouth High School Class of 1970,

It is my honor as President of the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth to welcome you back to the City of Portsmouth for your 50th high school reunion. Congratulations!!

While there have been many changes to the home port of the Clippers since your graduation in 1970, we echo your classmate and our former Mayor Jack Blalock in saying that Portsmouth has retained its small city charm while growing into an economic engine for the Seacoast and the State of New Hampshire.

You may know already that Portsmouth has evolved into a culinary destination – a foodie’s delight – since the days when the Blue Strawberry with Chef James Haller exploded on the restaurant scene in 1970. Continuing the tradition, each year since 2008 the Chamber and sponsors have hosted two Restaurant Weeks featuring up to 50 participating restaurants in Portsmouth and the greater Seacoast (but primarily Portsmouth). We bring to the table those from as far as other countries, to as close as residing within walking distance of downtown. We are incredibly proud of the restaurant scene here, and invite you back Nov. 5 through Nov. 14 to partake in a meal or two as the restaurants show why they attract diners from Boston and Portland and beyond.

In between designated reunion activities, as you reminisce with classmates, please stroll Portsmouth’s streets, browse our boutiques and if you can, stop for coffee at the Market Square mainstay location with its welcoming tables and chairs. Once home to Teddy’s Lunch, and later Breaking New Grounds, it is now home to Tuscan Market -- and still as welcoming a space to Portsmouth natives returning home to create new memories with long-time friends.

Please enjoy your time in Portsmouth, and don’t spend too much time in between your next return home!

Sincerely,

Valerie Rochon
President and Chief Collaborator

To the PHS class of 1970:

As the Mayor of Portsmouth and a former classmate, I want to welcome you back to this great city! I wanted to extend a personal welcome to you all for our 50^th high school reunion on August 7^th and 8^th, 2020. Hard to believe it has been 50 years and we are now entering a new decade.

As many of you have moved to neighboring cities and towns or further away, I know your return to this community will be memorable and beautiful. Portsmouth has become a vibrant destination for many people. Whatever your memories are, you will come back to the familiar and the very different. Certainly, Portsmouth has grown and changed but, has still retained the small city charm you remember.

I have remained here, raised a family and still live in the house where I grew up. I could not be prouder to be the Mayor of this wonderful, diverse and unique city. I hope to personally see you at the 50^th Reunion of the Portsmouth High School class of 1970!

All the best,
Jack Blalock
Class of 1970
Mayor of Portsmouth, N.H.

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Dear Classmates,

The committee began planning for the upcoming 50th reunion well over a year ago. The relatively small group of individuals who research venues, update your contact information, plan the specifics of the weekend, create a budget, coordinate mailings, manage the technology side of things and solicit for raffles come together as a cohesive unit every 5 years even though they may not see each other very often in between reunions. It is similar to planning a wedding every five years and a majority of us have been involved for the past 30 years. We have had classmates float in and out of the committee as their schedules allow and always welcome newcomers. 

This year’s committee has been extra diligent about costs. We understand some of you will travel and require accommodations. Many if not most of us are retired and we realize the phrase “fixed income” is a reality. Since 1990 tickets for our reunions have remained at $35.00 per person. We accomplished that feat with the raffle prizes each year which in turn allowed us to have start up funds in place for the next reunion. 2020 Tickets will be $50.00 per person - still a bargain considering prices of other class reunions in this day and age.

The committee has experienced a pleasant increase in requests for information about the 2020 reunion as well as commitments from classmates who have never been able to attend or who have not attended in recent years. 

We are still trying to locate some classmates and any help you can provide helps the cause. In addition, the guest list is expanding to include not only class advisors, teachers, spouses of deceased classmates who wish to be included and finally, any individual who attended PHS as a member of the Class of 1970 during 1966-1970 regardless of where they transferred to or from.

The “Letters of Welcome” begin in November and will continue through next August from various individuals and classmates. We hope you will take the time to read them. Let us know if you would like to contribute one.

We have a new email address as well as website and we encourage you to view it often as updates and plans for the two evenings are still being designed. If you have an idea you would like to share with the committee about the reunion events, please do not hesitate to reach out to us through the website or the email address. We are always interested in other ideas!

On behalf of our motley crew, we look forward to seeing each and everyone of you who are able to join us in August of 2020!