Like everyone else, my family and friends are getting ready to celebrate our country’s 250th – also known as the semiquincentennial – anniversary this week.
Plans call for us to keep tradition going and attending a pair of fireworks displays. First up is the one on the bayfront in the Town Bank section of Lower Township. Interestingly, the most colorful aspect of the evening isn’t the rockets’ red glare, but the crowds that stroll along the bay front in search of funnel cakes, ice cream and hot dogs offered by food trucks parked in the street.
My assignment is always to stand in line to buy three manhole-cover sized ice cream sandwiches for my oldest grandsons, then try to maneuver through the mass of humanity to where we set up our beach chairs before the treats melt and chocolate ice cream rolls down my arms and onto my red-white-and-blue t-shirt.
In earlier days, when our children were younger and when my wife and I had more energy, we would venture down to the beach at the bay, stepping over horseshoe crabs in the process, and set up a blanket.
Afterward, the evening ends with piling chairs and children onto a wagon and pulling it three blocks to the car, then taking various side streets to take the kids home.
July 4 means a trip to Cape May for their fireworks display. That entails trying to find a parking spot within three miles of the beachfront and hauling beach chairs through the soft sand to a spot.
We usually get there an hour early. We kill time by listening to the waves and the patriotic music coming from the various parties being held at The Grand and Montreal Resorts.
On a clear night, we can see the fireworks shows at Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. On the way home, we can see Wildwood’s display while we’re sitting in traffic on the West Cape May Bridge.
This year’s celebrations is even more special for my wife and I, for we graduated from Lower Cape May Regional High School in 1976, 50 years ago.
The LCMR Class of ’76 – forever known as the Bicentennial Class – will be holding its 50th reunion later this summer.
It seems like yesterday. Those of you of a certain age may remember back to an era before cell phones, Tik Tok, electric cars and even Atlantic City casinos.
Two years would pass before entertainer Steve Lawrence rolled the first dice at Resorts International in 1978.
For fans of Philadelphia sports teams, it was an awesome year.
The Phillies were National League East champions in 1976 behind lefty Steve Carlton, third baseman Mike Schmidt, shortstop Larry Bowa, left-fielder Greg “The Bull” Luzinski and centerfielder Garry Maddox.
Maddox was so good that local fans had a saying that “two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water. The other third is covered by Garry Maddox.”
The problem was that was also the era of Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine.” Catcher Johnny Bench, second baseman Joe Morgan and shortstop Dave Concepcion swept the Yankees in the World Series that year.
That was also the time when the Flyers were in their prime. Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Dave Schultz, and the late Bernie Parent led the Broad Street Bullies to back-to-back Stanley Cups – still the only championships in franchise history – in 1974 and 1975 and reached the finals again in ’76 before losing to the Montreal Canadiens.
The 76ers were a building team that season, finishing second in the Atlantic Division behind the late George McGinnis and Doug Collins.
The next year, they added an ABA standout named Julius Erving.
The Eagles were awful.
First-year coach Dick Vermeil had some talent with wide receiver Harold Carmichael, tight end Charle Young, and middle linebacker Bill Bergey, but the Birds still finished 4-10.
On the local front, Millville was the dominant high school football team in those days behind running back Calvin Murray and defensive lineman the late Bubba Green. Both went on to play in the NFL.
If memory serves, the late Walt Montford was among the stars on Atlantic City’ boys basketball team.
Down at Lower Cape May, the Caper Tigers’ football team struggled in 1975 under coach Jim Gallagher, who went on to enjoy a legendary career at Holy Spirit and Sterling.
The basketball team was solid under coach Steve Riley and players such as Henry Wise, Mike Moore, Michael Lewis and Robert “Bug” Matthews.
In baseball, coach Jack Weeks guided a crew that included catcher Eddie Hoffman, first baseman Tim Shoffler, shortstop Karl Umscheid, third-baseman Marty Franco, and a crafty left-handed pitcher.
Wrestling was Lower’s best sport in those days. Late coach Bill Garrison was in the early years of a great career. The team also featured some wrestlers who are still considered among the best in program history such as Blair Hansen – grandfather of 2026 standout Chase Hansen – and the late Michael Loper.
The summer of 1976 was a blur. Graduation was followed by a few weeks of fun in the sun with my girlfriend before we went off to college.
Because there were no cell phones or laptops, we kept in touch via this ancient art called letter writing and once-a-week calls on a rotary phone.
But we made it work.
We just celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary.
Many of those student-athletes and other classmates will be attending the 50th reunion at the La Mer in Cape May in September.
It will be a chance to pay tribute to Michael Loper and the 46 other classmates who were taken from us much too soon.
Most of all, it will be an opportunity to share laughs, tears and remember that special time when we all had hair, strong hips and knees, and could throw a baseball, swing a golf club, and jump over hurdles without groaning.
Many of us have remained friends over the years.
Karen and I are on the reunion committee along with Gail Wilsey, Chuck Lear and Laurie Walter.
Karen still counts Sharon Hand and Eileen Clancy among her closest friends.
I play golf all the time with Harry Tillotson, Bug Matthews and Frank “Tater” Smith.
Frank was my best man and I served the same role at his wedding.
Mike Moore is on our Trivia Team.
We all still get together at least once a year with Karen Booth, Kim Gadow, Gina Riker, Alan Holmstrup and others.
The fireworks this week will be fun.
The reunion will be legendary.
In the words of Frank “Tater” Smith: “Class of ’76 don’t back down!”
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
