Reunion will be next year

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
After conducting a Facebook poll, Tracy Olson, class of 1986, and Jennifer Smith, class of 1989, have announced that the Newcastle High School All-School Reunion scheduled for 2020 will be postponed until 4th of July weekend in 2021. 
Smith said in a May 1 post to a Facebook group used to communicate details on the reunion that the poll was being conducted after they received several questions sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Poll results were heavily weighted in favor of postponing the event until July 2, 3 and 4 of 2021, with 306 votes in favor of the postponement. Forty-nine people wanted to keep the original date. 
“I believe it is the best choice at this time. We have to make a decision for those making travel plans and with the unknown circumstances of the COVID-19 and the economy, Tracy and I felt it was in the best interest to postpone,” Smith said. 
Olson told the News Letter Journal that the decision to postpone was not easy to make but in the best interest of everyone involved. 
“Jennifer and I thought it was best to postpone the reunion, not only due to the COVID-19 but also the economic downturn. We were concerned the attendance would be way down this year,” Olson said. 
Both women said that the decision had to be made now to give people enough time to change their plans. 
“We apologize to those who already had plans and hope to still see them next summer,” Olson said. “With having an extra year now, Jennifer and I plan to make the reunion bigger and better!”
As previously reported, this was the first all-school reunion being planned by Olson and Smith after they took over the responsibility from a committee headed by Ann McColley. At the time, they said that they hated to see the tradition end and were determined to do everything in their power to keep the reunion alive.