By John McGhee

To the Blue Mountain Eagle

This year marks 80 years that the Seneca School has been providing the children of Seneca and the surrounding area in Grant County with a first class traditional education and life skills. In celebration of this anniversary, the Seneca School Foundation announced it will sponsor a school reunion in conjunction with this years annual Seneca Oyster Feed. Both events will take place on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

In addition to the sporting events, activities, and great food for which the Oyster Feed has come to be known, those attending will also have the opportunity to participate in scheduled reunion activities in the Seneca School. Some of the activities include tours of the school conducted by student ambassadors, exhibits of student projects, the history museum, and a showing of the recently produced DVD Seneca Now and Then, a Historical Tour of Seneca by Students. The newly released second book of Oral Histories of the Town of Seneca will also be available for purchase.

Copies of the first volume will also be available, as well as a book of photographs featuring Seneca in its heyday. Ending the day on a high note, Jack Southworth will present his history of Seneca in photographs in the school gym.

The reunion activities will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude with Jacks presentation which will begin at 3:30 p.m. Concurrently, the Seneca PTA will be sponsoring a Fun Day on the playground with many fun activities for children.

For the latest reunion information, visit the foundations website at www.senecakids.org. Seneca residents, past and present, and current and former Seneca School students are invited to join the celebration. The Foundation asks if people know of or are in contact with anyone with Seneca connections that they please pass on the invitation to help get the word out. It will be greatly appreciated if those who are planning to attend the reunion let the event organizers know you are coming for planning purposes. There is an RSVP button on the website for doing this.

For those who are not familiar with the Annual Seneca Oyster Feed, it is an all day affair beginning in the morning with a softball tournament, a scramble golf tournament, canoe races on the Silvies River and a reverse drawing with prizes and the grand prize will be $500. The highlight of the days menu is the truck load of fresh oysters hauled in the night before from the Oregon coast. The oysters are prepared two ways: grilled in the shell in their own juices, served with a choice of sauces or dipped in beer batter and deep fried. Served with the oysters are corn on the cob, a variety of salads, and garlic bread.

Serving begins around noon and the price is $17 for all you can eat. An alternate menu can be found at the nearby Hamburger Shack offering old-fashioned hamburgers with homemade relish (a hit with all takers), hot dogs and fries. Prices differ from the oyster meal.

It is always a fun day for kids and adults alike. The feed is organized each year by the Seneca Golf Committee and they extend an invitation to all comers, near and far, to join in the fun.

John McGhee is a member of the Seneca School Foundation.