Introductions by Webmaster Larry

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the LBHS Class of 78 Reunion! It took you THIRTY years to get here and you all made it. Congratulations!

My name is Larry Guerrera. You will NOT find me in any of your yearbooks, but I have been inducted as an HONORARY MEMBER of the Class of 78 and honored I am indeed. I am also the Webmaster for the lbhsclassof78.com website and I'll be doing the introductions for this evening's festivities, but mostly I'll also be doing what you'll be doing - eating, drinking, schmoozing, and eating and drinking!

All of us on the reunion committee would like to thank the reunion committees of the LBHS Class of 58 and Class of 68 for their ideas and support - they are very much appreciated and helped to make a really tough job a little easier. We'd also like to thank the classmates that contributed pictures for the poster boards and our video collage and we'd like to thank the first person who paid for their reunion: Harold Sherman!

Our website has been viewed in all 50 states and the following countries: Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United Kingdom.

Our Classmates are scattered all over the United States, living in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and Wisconsin. And with us tonight is the Class Valedictorian, Laura Henigman!

We have in our midst, two of the people partly responsible for the information that's in your heads right now - both of them are MATH teachers, so if after all these years, you have any questions, now's the time. The men who tried their best to make a squared + b squared = c squared look cool... Gentlemen please present yourselves to the class: Mr. Steven Marino and Mr. Jack Sheedy!

And now it is time to introduce the people that made this Reunion Weekend possible.

This classmate looks EXACTLY the same from before Junior High through High School and to right now, she was voted most likely to be involved in everything and know everybody, has a computer at home but has no idea how to get her email and the word "Google" gives her a rash! An old fashioned girl whose name is straight out of an Italian pasta commercial, here she is... Gina Barrella Maniaci!

This classmate looks better NOW than in her High School picture, knows how to get her email, carries around a fancy laptop, always has these cool looking cell phone covers in bright colors and also learned something she will not forget anytime soon - don't give your cell phone to your daughter and expect any kind of PRIVACY! Here she is… Mary-Ann Aivazian Hudson!

When first contacted many months ago by my wife, this classmate thought her phone call was a joke and said, "Why are you calling me?". A loyal "Deadhead" who wanted to marry Mick Jagger, but instead made the wise decision to marry a computer geek who can appreciate a fine wine and can cook! The girl voted most likely to bring a whip and an agenda to every gathering because she loves doing it "by the book", here she is… Lori Pearson Katzman!

This classmate came up with the phrase "Friends don't let Friends miss their reunion!" and she's another one that looks EXACTLY the same from Junior High to High School to right now, even I could have picked her out of a crowd before I met her (is there something in Long Beach water???) and she's a MET fan! Living just seconds away from the beach with her husband Jack, a retired firefighter and still a hot guy, here she is… Kathy Frank Gremse!

This classmate is one of the luckiest guys in the world, because of the woman he lives with. What Judy puts up with… He is the man with pads all over his house, who found all of the classmates and then promptly lost all their contact information, the man who wrote the most profound yearbook poetry ever written, "Good luck in the future, because that's where you'll spend the rest of your life" and the man who voted himself as the "handsomest guy" in the Class of 78, here he is… Larry Siegel!

And finally, this classmate is one of the luckiest GIRLS in the world, because of the man she lives with. What I have to put up with… But I will tread very carefully here since I don't want to be banished to the doghouse. She is tenacious, obstreperous, crazy, out of her mind and nutzy cookoo at times, yet giving, kind, willing to go beyond the extra mile and is a good friend, classmate and spouse. She had this crazy idea well over a year ago to make sure the next reunion of the Class of 78 would be a smash hit. Take a look around and see what's come of that idea! With the help of the reunion committee members you just met, I think they've all succeeded! Crowned Madam Chairwoman by all who know and love her, I must say that she still looks just as good in a low cut top as the day I met her, ladies and gentlemen, here is my wife… Jackie Schweitzer Guerrera!

Will the reunion committee members please come up… Ladies and Gentlemen, the Long Beach High School Class of 78 Reunion Committee!

"The Jackie Roast"
by the LBHS Class of 78 Reunion Committee

Welcome Long Beach High School Class of 78
We all hope you enjoy seeing each and every classmate.

We’d like to bring you a quick synopsis of how this came to be
Jackie took the initiative and started by calling Larree
He then called on the phone and begged Kathy to come aboard
“Please help us!” is what Larry roared.

Not knowing then that East Bay would go away
Where could they go to start planning this day?
They stayed in Oceanside nevertheless and met at Mitchell’s Diner
They talked and ate and made big plans, thinking - nothing will be finer.

“I will find everyone”, Jackie boldly stated
After all, it’s been 30 long years that we have waited
So off they went, class list in hand
On a mission to find those whose shoes had Long Beach sand.

We called and we called – at least Jackie did
We tried our best to please her
This we do not kid.

One by one, Gina, Lori and Mary-Ann completed this crew
They weren’t shy about stating their point of view
Our families too, began to help out
Giving ideas, cooking food, and listening to us shout.

A very special thank you goes to our spouses and Larry G
Our one and only webmaster, without which this day would not be.

And we called and we called – at least Jackie did
We tried our best to please her
This we do not kid.

The months flew by, each day people were found
Jackie - who knew? - was like a natural bloodhound!

Before we knew it, the big day was here
We ask each one of you to give her a big cheer
For all she did to get this day planned
In spite of us giving her a helping hand.

We now introduce to you, the Head of the Committee
Now, please come up Jackie and say something witty!