RHS Class of 1970 celebrates 55th reunion

The Riverhead High School Class of 1970 celebrated the 55th anniversary of its graduation this weekend in Riverhead. 

First, about 25 alumni gathered for a “meet and greet” event Friday evening at Bistro 72 at the Hotel Indigo on West Main Street. 

On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Class of 1970 gathered for its 55th reunion at Polish Hall. The “Riverhead Fight Song” played as alumni entered the ballroom.

“It was a fabulous night of reminiscing, dancing and enjoying music provided by Don and Susan,” said Tippy (Berezny) Macksel of Riverhead, one of the reunion organizers. “It was like we didn’t miss a beat through the 55 years.”

Craig Boyd read the 65 names of deceased classmates, followed by a moment of silence. The band played songs dedicated to a few of them. “It was a very touching moment,” Macksel said.

It was a great time for all who attended, she said.

How much do you remember about 1970?

In 1970…

• The Beatles broke up
• “Airport” was the top-grossing movie of the year.
• “Patton” won the Oscar for best picture.
• “Marcus Welby MD” was the no. 1 TV show, followed by The Flip Wilson Show, according to the Nielsen ratings
• Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was no. 1 on the Billboard charts
• Monday Night Football debuted on ABC.
• The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl IV.
• The Baltimore Orioles won the World Series.
• The New York Knicks won the NBA Championship.
• The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup.  
• The Boeing 747 began commercial flight.
• Apollo 13 was launched by NASA, intended to make the third lunar landing. The mission had to be aborted when an explosion immobilized the command module. The crew used the lunar module “Aquarius” to orbit the moon and return safely to Earth in one of the most dramatic moments in U.S. space exploration. 
• The U.S. median household income was $8,730.
• The minimum wage was $ 1.60 per hour.
• The average cost of a home was $23,400.
• The average new car cost $3,500. 
• A gallon of gas was around 36 cents.
• A first-class postage stamp was 6 cents.
• Richard Nixon was president.
• Nelson Rockefeller was the governor of New York.

Locally…

• The population of the Town of Riverhead was 20,355.
• The population of Suffolk County was 1,124,950.
• The supervisor of Riverhead Town was Bruno Zaloga.
• Riverhead High School was located on Pulaski Street, in the brick building known today as the Pulaski Street Intermediate School.
• The new high school on Harrison Avenue was not yet built. The 1970 Blue Peconic yearbook included schematic drawings of the new high school’s floor plans.
• Nathaniel Shaffran was the principal of Riverhead High School.
• The 1970 Senior Class officers were Barnett Golding, president;  Douglas Dougherty, vice president;  Denise Ash, secretary; and Gwen Shaffran, treasurer.

View or download the 1970 Blue Peconic yearbook here

Courtesy photos

Editor’s note: This article has been amended to correct an error in the headline originally published.