Alumni group commemorates 75 years of Mepham history

The W. C. Mepham High School Alumni Association hosted several events in honor of the school’s 75th anniversary last weekend.

The celebrations kicked off on Saturday, Sept. 8, with the All-Class Pirates’ Picnic Reunion at Wantagh State Park. Alumni from different graduating classes were invited to bring their own food and catch up with old friends, organizers said. Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg also attended.

Doris Christmann, who graduated from Mepham in 1965, has served as chairwoman of the picnic since it was first held nine years ago. “Before the first one was over, people were saying, ‘When can we do this again?’” she said. “It’s wonderful to share our stories of our time in Bellmore.”

Some attendees put up signs near their picnic tables with their graduating classes listed to try to find friends. Members of the class of 1941, like Francis Cornell, Norma Creighton, Irene Muscara and others, said they do this to reconnect with friends.

Creighton said she looks forward to the picnic because many of her Mepham classmates have moved, and the event allows them to come together in one place again.

“Everyone lives in different places now,” she said. “It’s great to see them because we’ve built up a lot of memories with them.”

Alumni also shared memories of Mepham at the high school itself last weekend, where they went to hear a program about the school’s storied past and to celebrate the renovation of one of the building’s beloved areas.

The alumni association sponsored a program in the school auditorium on Sunday, Sept. 9, which included musical selections, stories about innovations taking place at Mepham now, and recognition of original alumni and “Who’s Who” honorees. The program also recognized that the auditorium’s map of Long Island was restored with funds from the alumni group.

Cornell said he was eager to see the final product of another alumni association-funded project –– restoration of the school’s library. Board of Education trustees and school officials participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the preserved library on Sunday.

Both restoration projects, which cost nearly $100,000, were completed by professional preservationists. Representatives of the alumni group said they wanted the library’s Greek-style wooden columns and friezes handled with care.

Muscara, whose son Michael currently serves as the school’s athletic director, said she and her family of Mepham graduates enjoy celebrating the school’s milestones at different events.

“It’s a family tradition for us,” she said. “It’s also a great feeling knowing that you’re a part of the history of this school.”