Making a classy holiday donation to T&G Santa.

Byline: Ellie Oleson

A half-century ago, in 1964, gas cost 30 cents a gallon, the average home sold for $18,000 and it cost 5 cents to mail a letter. The Beatles shot to the top of the charts after their first American appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Rolling Stones released their first album.

It was the year the Tonkin Gulf Resolution was approved by Congress, basically starting America's total involvement in the Vietnam War. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, Dr. Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, Che Guevera addressed the United Nations General Assembly and construction began on the World Trade Center in New York City.

In Worcester, the Telegram & Gazette Santa was in its 26th year helping local children, and 514 students graduated from North High School on Harrington Way.

The Polar Bears from the North High School Class of 1964 celebrated their 50th reunion on Oct. 17, then donated some of their leftover funds to T&G Santa.

"We decided the best thing was to help the children,'' said class member John R. Paladino of West Boylston. "We also voted to donate a $500 scholarship to a needy student at North High.''

Classmate Barrie Jernberg Kramer of Hudson said a crowd of 150, including about 100 alumni, attended the event at the Wachusett Country Club.

"It was wonderful and perfectly timed, since our school colors are black and orange,'' Ms. Kramer said.

Among those who attended were Michael D'Errico, class president, who traveled from Virginia, and three sets of classmates who met at North High and later married.

"Twins Janet and Judy Sullivan married a pair of Jims from our class, Jim Noone and Jim Hedlund,'' Ms. Kramer said.

Longest married classmates are Donna (Curran) and Ken McGoldrick, who married in 1966.

On a sadder note, class members held an "In Memorium'' moment, in which they remembered classmates who have died, including U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Walter S. Mooney, who died Sept. 5, 1966 while serving in Vietnam at age 20.

"He was a quiet kid, who enjoyed playing sports,'' Mr. Paladino said. "His nickname was 'Moon. I remember he planned to join the Marines right after graduation.''

Classmates also shared happier memories. Dorothy Leslie asked if anyone remembered Miss Murphy's trigonometry class "where exams were on lined paper in ink, and if the circles in the numbers 6, 8, 9 and 0 weren't closed, the answer was marked wrong...