There are a few changes that you will notice in this issue of the newsletter. First, I am happy to call your attention to page 5 where you will find our first paid advertisement! I hope that Gary Rudolph, `69, will be the first of many of you sending your ads to us for your businesses.

Our roster includes alumni addresses all over the world. Given how small that world is, you never know when you may find yourself in a city or a country where one of our alumni lives and works and you have the opportunity to stay at an alumni owned bed and breakfast or patronize some other alumni enterprise. The income generated from the ads will help to cover the cost of printing and mailing the newsletter.

We have decided to remove the list of places to stay in the Sidney area. In this age of internet reservations and hotels and other places of lodging advertising on their own websites, there was no way to keep up to date in the newsletter and we felt the space could be put to better use. However; if you have questions when making reservations please visit our website www.sidneyalumni.org and follow the links for local accommodations.

I am encouraging all of you to send me your pictures and news of special events in your family. You will notice that there are several included in this issue. Whether it's a wedding or graduation or a new baby-we all want to hear about it and see the pictures. It's particularly fun to hear about these events when there are several alumni or generations of alumni involved.

This issue is also a recap of the very successful Alumni Weekend, 2003 and we have included as many articles and pictures as we can about what went on in July.

We also have an article about the newly created SCSAA Sports Hall of Fame and the first induction ceremony, a very exciting event, which will take place November 28, 2003.

I am pleased to have articles from several people about their school memories from as early as the 1920's and as recent as the memories included in the article from the class of 1996. The memories of teachers and school experiences is universal and the connection to our home town and the friends made at SHS is the common experience we share no matter what year we graduated. If you have thoughts about your school experiences and want to write about them or a favorite teacher - please do so and then send them to me.

It may be obvious given the articles in this issue, that in July, I had the pleasure of attending my 40th class reunion and reconnecting with many old friends. Having been involved with the planning of Alumni Weekend since 1998, I had many expectations of what my own reunion would be like and I must say I was not disappointed! It was a wonderful time._ I wouldn't have missed it for anything!

Thanks for your articles, pictures and information. Keep them coming!