On Mint memories, a reunion of friends and Mr. Pocuis

It's a busy weekend in the little metropolis of St. Johns. An additional 60-70,000 people are expected to drive the census count up once again this year - all because of the 19th Annual Mint Festival where a fun time will be had by all.

At least, that's the goal of Mint organizers who have been working feverishly to make sure events go off without a hitch - which they probably will, based on experiences of the previous 18 years.

In a visit this past week to St. Johns city offices, Dennis LaForest commented on the longevity of the Mint Festival which began as a relatively tiny celebration with booths set up on the courthouse lawn and various 'fun' events staged in and around the downtown area. He wondered what plans might be made for next year's 20th anniversary.

While I have my own thoughts on that future event, the city manager's question did stimulate some 'reverse brain waves' - an immediate recollection of the first Mint Festival, and in particular, the miscue made by a former newspaper colleague who had just become the CCN editor.

Rich Wertz was an excellent writer and reporter who worked here in the mid-1980s during my second stint with the Clinton County News - the first time having been in the late 1970s when I was employed on the 'opposite side of the aisle' so to speak as a member of the sales staff.

Rich did some outstanding reporting during his CCN tenure on a variety of community events and happenings, but he never quite lived down the fact that he pretty much missed all the activities related to his first assignment at the News - the debut Mint Festival.

As I recall, the reaction by Festival folk to Rich's skimpy coverage was not pretty. Hell hath no fury like a Mint chairperson scorned. I do believe that all was eventually forgiven - lots of photographs at the Second Annual Mint Festival earned Rich a reprieve.

That's one of my personal Mint memories - who knows what this year will bring.

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Mint Festivals and reunions seem to go hand-in-hand. Families will gather this weekend as will alumni from any number of 'Classes' of RBW and SJHS.

An opportunity to reminisce with some 'old' St. Peter Lutheran School classmates a few weeks wasn't a reunion in the traditional sense, but the get-together with Pat and Amy Martens, Brenda Flegler, Phyllis (Kleuckling) VanLake and Charlene (Flak) Kennedy certainly prompted lots of laughter and happy memories.

Pat and Amy's home on Alward Lake Road has served as the host site for the gathering of friends in recent years, but this was the first time I was able to attend the tete-a-tete that takes place each year during Brenda's 'vacation' visit back home in Riley.

It was truly enjoyable to catch up on the 'current events' of other 'old classmates' - Charlene, in particular, seems to have a good sense of who's doing what now - but even more fun to recall our own past experiences and escapades. We had a good time at St. Peter where lessons were learned inside the two-room school, outside on the playground - and in related activities, like at meetings of the 'Young People's Society' where Brenda often served as a conduit for new adventures.

There was plenty of laughter about other memories - fun times at 4-H meetings and 'sleep-overs' at each other's homes. Our physical appearances have certainly changed over the years, but Phyllis' unique giggle and sly humor remains exactly the same - that's a good thing to hold on to in a world that often seems to have gone awry.

It's the little things - laughter and friendships - that matter the most.

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Other happy memories surfaced last week following a stop at the office by Edna Flegler. The long-time secretary at Rodney B. Wilson High School dropped off a photo of her 'boss,' B. Stanley Pocuis, which she hoped we would publish on the occasion of his 90th birthday, Aug. 14.

We do so, with pleasure.

Cards and well wishes for the former RBW principal may be sent to: 6501 17th Ave. W, Apt. 105, Bradenton, Fla., 34209-7816.