Homecoming, all-school reunion make for a spirit-filled week
By Buzz Ball / Daily News Editor
It's Black and Gold week in Neosho and at Neosho High School as the community and students gear
up for Football Homecoming 2005.
Homecoming theme is "Wildcats take the Indians on an Amazing Race."
Neosho will play the Seneca Indians on Friday.
To make this homecoming even more special, the Second All-School Reunion will be held this
weekend with festivities Friday and Saturday.
There also are two major events associated with homecoming, in addition to the crowning of
the queen at halftime of the football game.
At 2 p.m. Thursday, NHS will host the KSN Hometown Pep Rally. It will be taped and aired on
Friday morning. At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, there will be a bonfire at the practice field next to
the tennis courts. The annual homecoming parade will be held at 3 p.m. Friday on the Neosho Square.
The parade will line up at Big Spring Park at 2:30 p.m. and will move to the square. There
will be a pep rally immediately following the parade on the courthouse lawn.
All Neosho school students will be released early on Friday. Elementary school and middle
school students will dismiss at 2:05 p.m. and Neosho junior/senior high school will
dismiss at 2:30 p.m. Buses will run their normal routes, but approximately one hour
earlier than a normal school day.
Senior queen candidates are Tiffany Carlin, Kayla Welch and Tara Decker. Attendants are Tally
Valdois, freshman; Amber Judy, sophomore; and Samantha Ely, junior.
Students will participate in spirit days all this week.
They are as follows:
Monday-Wildcats Wear the Indians Out (wear pajamas);
Tuesday-Wildcats knock the Indians into the Past (students will dress in 1980s attire);
.Wednesday-Wildcats Kick the Indians to Hollywood (each class will choose a movie and dress to represent that movie theme);
Thursday-Wildcats Rock the Indians (students dress as punk/rock stars);
Friday-Wildcats Teepee the Indians (students dress in black and gold).
+ + + + + + + + + + +
History event to display Wildcat memorabelia
By Wes Franklin / Daily News Staff Writer
Integrated into the day's activities for the upcoming Neosho All-School Reunion on Saturday,
the Newton County Historical Park will host "History Alley" -- an event which, according to
organizers, is shaping up well.
Located at the corner of Washington and McCord Streets, the Park plans to display Neosho
Wildcat class memorabilia from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, in addition to several other
attractions.
"We'll have a station for all of the early decades - from the 20s through the 60s,"
commented Charles Brown, park director. "We also have the school records of all of the
one-room school houses around the community for anyone who might have attended one of those."
Although slated as an All-School Reunion event, Brown said it's really a day for the entire
public.
"When they (The Alumni Association) asked us to have something out here we thought we would
just go ahead and have our regular people come out and put on demonstrations as well," he
said. "We thought it would make the day a little more interesting."
Some of the "regular people" will include Bill Lentz (wood carving), June Hatfield (explaining
the old treadle sewing machine), Dixie Haas (quiltmaking), Della Gudgel (wool spinning), Ron
Hatfield (pedal scroll saw), Star Terry (Black history) plus more.
Also on-site at the "History Alley" event will be representatives from area historical
societies and parks, such as the Friends of the Fish Hatchery, Granby Historical Society,
George Washington Carver National Monument, Genealogy Friends of the Library and the Stella
Historical Society among others.
And according to Brown, having the different organizations present is actually one of the
biggest reasons for the event in the first place.
"The main purpose is just to open up other Newton County societies to the public and present
them at our function," he said. "We want people to be aware of the different places in the
county they can visit and get information from."
As the city Barnyard Days is being held simultilneously with the All-School Reunion, Brown
said he's expecting a good attendance for Saturday's event.
"I think we're going to have a large turnout due to the fact there will already be a lot of
people in town' he said.
