Jax Stumpes: Bennett High School Class of '73 50th Reunion (8/11-13/2023)

Friday, August 11, 2023

This trip to Buffalo was primarily for the Bennett High School Class of '73 50th Reunion.

First, the Meet and Greet at RiverWorks, a waterfront, boating, sports bar, adventure, sports, music & entertainment venue.

RiverWorks includes the largest six-pack in the world
(Grange League Federation/GLF 1936 C-Annex grain silos
painted blue with vinyl beer labels), the Buffal-"O" Ferris Wheel,
and Riverland Amusement Park for younger kids

There are four ziplines; a zipliner can be seen as if
landing on the tower to the left; however, he will
continue to the "six-pack" (KSS)

RiverWorks has their own brewery retrofitted in 1929 GLF grain silos, a restaurant with four bars, two ice hockey rinks (also for curling) that can be used for floor hockey in the summer, a roller derby rink, an urban high ropes course, axe throwing, and kayak rentals.

You can arrive by boat on the Buffalo River (KSS)

RiverWorks claims to be in downtown Buffalo, but it is
really in the industrial district, and is a stone's throw from
the oldest General Mills plant (1903 for Washburn-Crosby
Milling Co) that is still producing flour and cereals

Welcome sign for the Meet and Greet

Saturday, August 12, 2023

This morning was the tour of Bennett High School, which has gone through several ups and downs since we attended.

Lewis J Bennett High School (1923-1925,
by Ernest Crimi in Georgian Revival style)
with the Alumni Honor Garden and
Memorial Walkway

Alumni Honor Garden

Memorial Walkway

Karen C H stands in front of the front hall
cases with sports trophies, including the
basketball memorializing her
1972-1973 season point average of 24

The school auditorium is the third largest in Buffalo, after
Shea's Buffalo Theatre and Kleinhans Music Hall;
Neil L leads the tour

Swimming pool

Swimming pool stands for swim meets: in stands are
? and Dmitri; from the left: Karen, Anise, Jackie, Cora,
David, Kathleen, Vanessa, Yvonne, Karen, Michael
and his grandson

Gymnasium

Second floor Public Works of Art Project/PWAP mural,
New World of Symphony (1934-1935, by William B Rowe,
assisted by Joe Varga, Jr), since then deemed controversial
and threatened to be painted over, but restored
by James Christman (my homeroom teacher!)

Another of the five panels of New World of Symphony
that depicted folk inspiration of American music

Library, apparently very few of us were ever in this
library when we were in school, including me!

Michael, Sandi, Karen in front of Jackie, Sandi's sister,
Cora, someone from Class of '71, Michael's grandson,
Donald, Yvonne, Dmitri, Marlene

Karen, Kathleen and I are familiar with the wrought-iron
banister on which we had placed a banner in the middle
of the night during our freshman year; in response to
students wanting a Senior Lounge, we wrote: "These
are the doors to learning, not lounging."

You can also see that they are totally refurbishing the entrance stairs.

Chris claims he no longer fits in the locker!

Updated science lab

In our day, we had rows of lockers extending horizontally
across the hallway, leading to dead ends under the windows

Cafeteria, scene of pre-meditated food fights

View of All-High Stadium, alsoo updated

Paul S with his 1961 Chevrolet convertible
(purchased new by his grandmother and given to
Paul when he could drive it to school; since restored)

Later that evening, the Reunion Main Event at The Barrel Factory (2016, building 1903, for the Quaker City Cooperage Company) is located in the Old First Ward of Buffalo.

Upstairs at The Barrel factory is the Lakeward Spirits
Event Center; Lakewood Spirits is the on-site craft distillery;
there is also the Pressure Drop Brewing craft brewery