Here is a group photo from August 2007, courtesy of Ann Hecathorn.

Come to Sturbridge, Massachusetts
for the 35^th Annual
Strong Family Reunion

Friday, August 13 to Sunday, August 15, 2010

366 Main St., Route 20, Sturbridge, MA 01566

(508) 347-7393, www.sturbridgehosthotel.com

Guest rooms are $109.00/night (plus 11.7% taxes) for either single or double,

Add $10 for each extra person (3^rd $119, 4^th $129), Children under 18 stay free with adults.

This rate is guaranteed if reservations are made by July 20, 2010 (tell them you are with SFAA).

The Host Hotel offers a sandy beach on its 9 acres of lakeside grounds, paddleboats for rent, beach volleyball, horseshoes,

miniature golf, an arcade/game room, a heated indoor swimming pool and hot tub, a fitness center, and several restaurants

Sturbridge is located in central Mass. on the Conn. line at the crossroads of the Mass. Turnpike (Rt. 90) and Rt. 84 and Rt. 20. You will be about a one-hour drive from Boston, Providence, Hartford, Windsor, Springfield and Northampton (the burial place of John Strong). If you need to fly here, Bradley Airport (Hartford/Springfield) is in Windsor, Logan Airport is in Boston and T.F. Green Airport is near Providence, all about one hour away. Traffic in Boston and Providence tends to be heavy. Bradley is easier driving, but it depends on where and how you want to spend your time while you are visiting Sturbridge.

Schedule for the Weekend:

Friday, August 13 at 12:00 noon – Registration in the Dudley Room (our hospitality room for the weekend)

Registration, to cover hospitality room and speaker’s fee: ______Adults x $18.00 _________

Contact Name: ______________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________State _____________Zip__________

Phone: ___________________________email: _____________________________________

Names as they should appear on Name Badges: _____________________________________

Friday at 5:30 p.m. – Lakeside Cookout. Hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken, corn on the cob, various salads, chips, watermelon, brownies, lemonade, iced tea ______Adults x $27.78 ea. ________

Friday at 7:30 p.m. – SFAA Director’s meeting in the Oxford Room.

Saturday, August 14 at 8:00 a.m. - Coffee and pastries in the Dudley Room (Registration continues). Saturday at 3:00 p.m. – Annual Members’ Meeting in the Junior Ballroom followed by photos of the Strong family group members and then dinner.

Saturday at 6:00 p.m. – Buffet Dinner, An Italian Feast: Caesar Salad, Mozzarella Caprise, Antipasto, Chicken Saltimbocca, Haddock Bella Vista, Penne Florentine, Italian Squash Medley, Breadsticks, Focaccia, Tiramisu, Cannoli, Italian Cookies, Coffee and Tea ________Adults x $35.35 ea. _________

Total Cost (includes 14% tip, 4% house charge, 2% meals tax, 6.25% sales tax) $__________

After dinner, Tom Kelleher, Curator of Historic Trades, Mills and Mechanical Arts at Old Sturbridge Village will speak about “The History of Baseball Before 1860, Doubleday Didn’t Do It” and he’ll also explain how Tanneries worked (John Strong was a tanner) and information on N.E. shoe factories.

Sunday, August 15 at 8:00 a.m. – Coffee and pastries in the Dudley Room. Attend a church service or mass at an area church. St. Anne’s Church and Shrine are nearby with masses at 10 a.m., 12 noon and 6 p.m. in an outdoor pavilion in summer. They have a 10-acre, wooded path with the ‘Stations of the Cross’ that is believed to have healing powers. The Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village offers a delicious buffet, 10 – 2 p.m.

At 12:30 p.m., anyone who would like a tour of Old Sturbridge Village can meet me in the garden area just outside the ticket office. (Special admission $15 adults, $7 children 4-17, mention SFAA).

If you plan to attend the SFAA reunion, please send a check or money order to cover the costs of the meal/meals and registration to: Jean Solaroli, SFAA, 15 Cove Drive, Sturbridge, MA 01566.

If you have any questions or concerns, call Jean at 508-347-9897 or email Solaroli@aol.com.

Places of Interest In and Around Sturbridge

Sturbridge Host Hotel Restaurants: The Greenhouse Restaurant offers a weekend breakfast buffet. The VIP’s Lounge offers refreshing beverages, light fare and tasty appetizers. The Oxhead Tavern, an historic landmark built in 1820, is just next door and offers delicious New England lunches and dinners.

Listing of Other Sturbridge Area Restaurants – Within close walking distance of the Host Hotel are: Burger King, McDonalds, Piccadilly Pub, George Pizza, B.T.’s Smokehouse, Friendly Ice Cream, The Thai Place, Cedar Street Restaurant and 530 Main Steak House. Within a short drive are: Wendy’s, Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Cracker Barrel, Applebee’s, Pizzeria Uno’s, The Publick House Historic Inn, Kaizen Sushi Bar & Grill, Kahula Polynesian Restaurant, Ravezzi’s Italian Restaurant, Playa Del Carmen Mexican Restaurant, Vienna Restaurant, and Zorba’s Greek Restaurant.

Of Interest in Sturbridge – Old Sturbridge Village, across from the Host Hotel, is a 200-acre, 1830’s Living History Museum, special admission $15 adults, $7 children 4-17 (mention SFAA). As a tour guide at OSV, I will offer a tour on Sunday afternoon starting at 12:30, meeting in the garden area just outside the ticket office.

If you like beer, Hyland Orchard & Brewery, 195 Arnold Rd., offers a wide selection of micro-brewed beers, plus a free petting zoo and children’s play area.

Historical and Other Places of Interest within short driving distances – Because Sturbridge is located at the crossroads of Rt. 84 and the Mass. Turnpike (Rt. 90) in central Massachusetts on the Connecticut state line, you are able to drive to many New England cities in about an hour or so.

Boston – Drive east on the Mass. Turnpike to visit many historic areas in Boston. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile walking tour of 16 sites starting at the Boston Common, then walk by the Granary Burying Ground with graves of Sam Adam, John Hancock, Paul Revere. Walk on to Faneuil Hall that is filled with shops and the Old State House, up to the North End by Paul Revere’s house and the Old North Church and continue on to Old Ironsides. Boston has many museums: Museum of Science & Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Children’s Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Peabody Archeology Museum, N.E. Aquarium and the JFK Library. (For more info: http://www.starthereboston.com/Museums.html) Want to see where the Pilgrims landed and how they lived, visit Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, MA. (www.plimoth.org/).

West of Sturbridge – Heading West on the Mass Pike to Rt. 291 to Springfield, you’ll find the birthplace of basketball at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (www.hoophall.com). If you’re looking for excitement head to Six Flags of New England with thrilling roller coasters and a water park (www.sixflags.com).

Providence – Drive South on Rt. 146 to see the Museum of Natural History and Cormack Planetarium, shows on weekends at 2 p.m. which is located in Roger Williams Park along with the Roger Williams Zoo, open daily 9-4. At the Culinary Arts Museum of Johnson and Wales University, Tues.- Sun. 10-5, see the Dinner at the White House exhibit or the 4,000 sq. ft. diner exhibit. There are art museums at RI School of Design and Brown University. Visit the Slater Mill Historic Site, in nearby Pawtucket, open Sat. & Sun. 11-3, the birthplace of American industry with an authentic 19^th century machine shop, an 8-ton working water wheel with regular demonstrations. Or, travel father south to Newport, RI, to see the magnificent Newport Mansions. (Go here for more info: http://www.newportmansions.org/) Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, RI is one of the nicest ones in RI, but you could travel to Cape Cod for lots of beaches if you have the time.

Hartford – Head south on Rt. 84 to Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org) a kin who was featured in the SFAA Nov. 2008 newsletter. It’s next door to the Mark Twain brick Victorian house that features many pieces of Tiffany stained glass (www.marktwainhouse.org). Just over the line into West Hartford is Elizabeth Park, the oldest rose garden in America with a wonderful café for lunch.

Windsor, CT - Up the Conn. River is the Windsor Historical Society on the site where Return Strong took over his father John Strong’s original tannery. They also have the Lt. Walter Fyler House (1640) and the Dr. Hezekiah Chaffee House (1765), as well as a library with genealogical and historical research.

Coventry, CT - About 30 minutes down Rt. 84, you’ll find the Strong-Porter Museum and the Nathan Hale Homestead. Elizabeth Strong married Richard Hale (Nathan’s father).

Come to Dixon, Illinois Sunday, August 2, and Monday, August 3, for the 2009 Strong reunion!!

We are staying at the Quality Inn and Comfort Inn, located near the intersection of I-88  & Il Rt. 26  at the south end of Dixon, IL    The motels are midway between Chicago and the Quad cities, and about  45 miles south of Rockford, IL.

The two motels are under one roof and share two pools and banquet rooms.  The Quality Inn with an entrance at the east end of the building serves a full hot breakfast.  The Comfort Inn with the entrance on the west end of the building has a deluxe continental breakfast featuring waffles.  The motels are located beside a large WalMart and small strip mall.

The SFAA has a block of rooms reserved at both motels.

The Quality Inn:

• 815-288-2001
• Room rate - $93.46 plus tax

Comfort Inn:

• 815-284-0500
• Room rate - $84.96 plus tax

The motel will hold the rooms for the SFAA until July 2. Contact the Quality Inn and Comfort Inn directly and mention SFAA.  A credit card will hold the room. You can cancel with no charge until  4 p.m. of the day of arrival. Please register early to assist us in our planning.

Dixon, in Lee Co., IL, is the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan.  His home is open for tours daily.  It is also the home of the Walgreen family. Our banquet speaker will be Paul Langan, a retired psychology professor with an interest in Dixon area history.  His topic will be the founders of the Walgreen Drug Store chain.  More information on area points of interest, dining and shopping will be available in the SFAA hospitality room located across from the Comfort Inn registration desk.

A special guest at the Stronghold Castle tour on August 3 will be W. Ansel Strong III.  He, and possibly some of his cousins, will share stories of  his grandfather, Walter A. Strong, who was a Chicago newspaperman and builder of Stronghold Castle. The Walter A. Strong family descends from Elder John Strong’s son John Strong. More information about the castle and adjoining property is found at http://www.strongholdcenter.org/

Registration for the SFAA reunion in Dixon, Illinois   August 2 & 3, 2009

Main Contact Name______________________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________________________________

City__________________________________  State ________________ Zip_______________

Phone  ________________________       email __________________________________

Names as they should appear on the Name Badges_______________________________________

Registration fee for the 34th SFAA reunion in Dixon, IL

Adults           $15                    _____adults X  $15=___________

Banquet meal                          _______adults X  $20=_____________

Monday, August 3

_______children under age 8  X  $10=_____________

Sunday late afternoon at the Lowell Park shelter north of Dixon

oven fried chicken, potato salad, fruit bowl, Del Monte bicolored sweet corn, dessert and iced tea or pink raspberry lemonade

Get Acquainted catered picnic       _____adults X $8=______________

_____   children under 8 X $8=______________
(Update: children same price. Our caterer was unable to get us the discount.)

Stronghold Castle tour          number of people   X $3=______________

Touring inside the castle involves many steep steps.  It is NOT handicapped accessible.  Anyone may walk around the grounds without a charge. W. Ansel Strong III’s presentation about his family and life at the castle will be in the cafeteria at 11 a.m., following the 10 a.m. tour. That is open to all of the SFAA.  It isn’t necessary to have also toured the castle.

Lunch in the Stronghold Presbyterian Conference Center cafeteria  on August 3

________number of people X $8.25=_____________

Make check or Money order payable to SFAA Reunion 2009 and Send registration to:

Mrs. Ann Hecathorn
P.O. Box 95
Earlville, Illinois 60518

Questions?  s.hecathorn@verizon.net

Strong Family Association of America, Inc.
will gather for their 34th Reunion
August 2-4, 2009
Dixon, Illinois