KILGOROUND
MITCH LUCAS

I NEED HELP in making a decision.

I received an e-mail last week from Larry Wayne Pinkerton, an old high school classmate of mine, telling me that our second class reunion - marking, of course, 20 years since we graduated - was coming up at the end of May.

I went to the first one back in 1998. Our class, the class of '88, was small (88 people, in fact; I can always remember that, because we were the class of '88, and had exactly that many). Of the 88 people, about 60 showed up to the first reunion. From what I understand, that's probably pretty good. According to some statistics I saw on a class reunion web site, only about 20 to 30 percent of people attend their class reunions. Almost all of them (about 90 percent) bring a guest, and about 60 percent live in the same state in which they went to school.

I know I should probably commit to making it, but my heart's just not in it

this year.

It's not the "feeling old" thing. It's not the "old girlfriend meeting the wife" thing. It's not even the "why do I have to see these people again" thing.

I was just never close to most of the people in my class, and I can't imagine they'd really miss me not being there. Most of my friends (and my girlfriends, for that matter) were either younger or older, and unfortunately, we don't get to have official reunions. Complicating matters a little bit is the fact that can't take a lot of time off at a time, and I don't get back to Alabama much. When I go, I like to see my family, and I don't know that I want to spend two to three hours with a bunch of people in which the only thing I really have in common is that we happen to be the same age.

I know this is reunion time, and a lot of people are weighing the same decision. If you're in a similar boat as me, I'd like to hear from you. Write me an e-mail at sports@kilgorenewsherald.c om, and tell me if you're going to yours. Maybe something I read will help sway my decision one way or another.

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IT'S THAT TIME again - there's a golf tournament around every corner.

Meadowbrook Country Club will play host to the annual Rotary Club golf tournament on Monday, May 5, a two-person-per-team tournament with lunch at 11 a.m. and a shotgun start at noon.

The format: six holes of best ball, six holes of scramble, and six holes of alternate shot.

There is a $150 per-team entry fee (or $75 per player) which includes lunch, green fees, cart, and refreshments on the course. Cash prizes will be paid down through third place in low gross and in low net, and all players should submit handicaps when entering the tournament.

To find out more or to sign up, contact Greg Collins at (903) 988-3413. Entries will be accepted until May 3, and proceeds from the tournament go to several Rotary Club charitable activities.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY to Jordan Chris Hall, Jamie Quinlan, Mrs. Tobe Laster, David L. Jackson, Mrs. J.C. Eakin Jr., Clifton Wade Young, Brad King Gene Keenon, Danny Patterson, Dolf Dion, Danny Pearce, Monica Coleman, Brenda O'Quinn, James Key, Andrea Herndon, Dirk McName, Cynthia Jones, Johnny Bolt, Terri Lacy, James Lee Huffman, Jason Dean Madden.

Celebrating with you: Bo Duke! Actor John Schneider of "The Dukes of Hazzard is 48 today. Also celebrating: John Lennon's son, singer Julian Lennon (45), actress Robin Wright Penn (42), actress Patricia Arquette (of "Medium;" she's 40), one of the original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers, Darlene Gillespie (67), singer Peggy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters (67), and guitarist Steve Howe of the rock group Yes (61).

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TODAY to John and Ila Eckstadt, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Plaxco, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Plaxco.