Class of 70

Rae Joslyn Scukanec is currently working three days a week as a dental hygienist and doing volunteer work for her church. She and her husband have seven children between them, and they live in four different states and one foreign country. They travel to visit them whenever possible. Rebecca Johnson proudly volunteers with the local Coast Guard Auxiliary and is now a fully-qualified vessel examiner. Paula Chapman Windus wrote that her husband, Charlie ’68, completed the Iron man Triathlon competition in Hawaii in October 1997. He also participated in the International Triathlon Union World Champ-ionships in Perth, Australia, as part of Team USA. He has been competing in triathlons for fifteen years. Kenneth Parker wrote that his life is full and busy. With a daughter, Meaghan, at Champlain College majoring in law enforcement and a son, Colin, a high school junior, he is constantly kept young and on his toes. Add to that an active business, a hectic youth hockey refereeing schedule in the winter, weekly sailing activities aboard the family sailboat, "Bon Temps," on Lake Champlain in the summer, and there is little spare time for much else. Ingrid Searles Cichoski wrote that 1998 was a big year for her. She turned fifty, had her second daughter graduate from college (Tufts) in May, and her first-born was married in July. She also began a new job last August. Ingrid noted, "1999 will seem dull in comparison." Ronald Morgan retired from the Vermont Air National Guard with more than forty-one years of combined service. Brian Pulling is completing his twelfth year as a case worker for adults with mental retardation with the state of Maine. He recently completed nine months as a volunteer co-pastor of Circle of Hope Metropolitan Community Church in Portland, Maine. Brian is also serving on the board of directors of the Matlovich Society in Portland, an organization for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people, where he provides speakers, panels, and programs. Andrea Lisle Miller wrote, "Well, in one year, I lost my uterus, my husband (to divorce), and my job (laid off after seventeen years). How’s that for an eventful year? The weird thing is that I’m fine." Betsy Reed Bahrenburg enjoys working at Day One as a clinical research nurse in psychiatry. Husband Jim ’68 is in his twenty-eighth year of teaching science at Edmunds Middle School. Students keep him young at heart. Son Nate graduated from UVM in May 1997 and is teaching in Denver, Colo. Their daughter is studying in Växjö, Sweden, as an exchange student. Son Dan appreciates the academics and athletics at Vermont Academy. Mary Jane Roland Barber started the youth soccer program in her town, and it has grown from twenty-three kids to two hundred in four years. She is now a girls’ soccer coach for the school team, having coached junior high school boys for two years. Mary Jane is a substitute teacher in all areas and all grade levels at Romulus Central School. Bob Rosenthal was named editor and executive vice president of the Philadelphia Inquirer on January 1, 1998. He is very busy, but he still enjoys skating. Sally Scott Brown recently celebrated her fiftieth birthday and her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary by taking a two-week action/adventure hiking trip to New Zealand. She wrote that it’s the way to stay young. Rachella Mac Bolton’s daughter is the Vermont state DAR winner. Mary Holland completed a master’s degree in counseling and psychology at Goddard College in January 1998.

Class of 71

David Pilachowski was appointed college librarian at Williams College. Danny Dirocco sent a bio update: "Two adorable identical twin granddaughters now three-and-a-half years old. Registered psychiatric nurse at Holyoke Hospital. On my way to weighing less than two-hundred pounds, first time since tenth grade."

Class of 73

John Dmytriw wrote that he had an outstanding time seeing old friends at the 25th Reunion last June. Sarah Carpenter was appointed executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency by the Board of Commissioners. Sarah said, "I am committed to promoting and financing affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Ver-monters." Burton Sisco was named dean of education at Rowan University. He most recently had served as associate dean of graduate studies and research at the University of Wyoming’s college of education. In 1997, Burton won the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association Award of Merit for outstanding contributions made to further adult education as a lifelong learning process. Rosarius Leonardi received a doctorate in special education from San Jose State University.

Class of 74

I have accepted a full-time reporter’s position with The Independent newspaper in Hills-dale, N.Y. I remember fondly my days as an editor for the Vermont Cynic and putting the editorial pages together each week downstairs in Billings Center. I can’t wait for our class reunion in June. There is so much to report from you for this column. Please know that I am receiving items from the Alumni Office, and some are a little dated. Don’t be shy in writing me directly; your news will be fresher…Christine Allard is branch president of the Merchants Bank in South Hero, Vt., and recently served as treasurer of the Grand Isle Rotary. She is also a board member of Island Info (part of Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources). Her husband, Dan, is a partner and owner of MGC Computer Services. They have a daughter, Jennifer, who attends Bates College. James Rickert proudly watches his sons, Wade and Kyle, play on the UVM baseball team in the spring. Keith Rice is busy in Orlando, developing a cooling district for the Orlando Utilities Commission. Utilizing chilled water to air condition large commercial buildings, the district will be the first in sunny Florida and the largest in the southeastern states with over twenty thousand tons of chiller capacity to thirty or more skyscrapers in that city. Hey, Keith, can you develop a system to send nice warm air back to Vermont in January? Col. Larry Doton is currently deputy director, Personnel Information Systems Directorate, Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOMM) in Alexandria, Va. He is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, specializing in automation and software development. Andrea Higashibaba lives in Salem, Mass., with husband Shinichi and their four daughters. She is active with the Family Federation for World Peace and the Women’s Federation for World Peace. Keep up the good work, Andrea. Sharon Maloney Newton wrote that she is preparing her twin sons for kindergarten, while "enjoying all the Bay area has to offer and hoping the El Nino rains stop soon." Bruce Leblanc candidly noted that he is "surviving the major expenses of putting two college-aged children through colleges." Bruce attended Duke’s Advanced Management Program, while his wife, Nancy, is now seeking a master’s in education at Clark University. Scott Cahoon addressed Professor Jack Anderson’s Civil War Seminar about life as a Civil War living historian. Hey, Scott, how about offering this information at the 25th class reunion? Bonnie Thibault has spent the past four years working in career services and the personnel department as well as Army Reserve duty, while pursuing a second bachelor of arts degree. Bonnie noted that this is a "mid-career shift" from teaching to human resources and student personnel at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn. She also landed a half-time position as academic advisor in the College of Management. However, Bonnie is homesick for Vermont and the Green Mountains, yearning to return for a similar position.
Hey, fellow classmates, any leads for Bonnie? Francis Farrar married Jane Ellis last summer. Congratulations and best wishes. Susan Nadeau Pelley spent two years on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona with her daughter. They lived and worked with Native Americans in Ganado, a small town near the New Mexico border. Emily Schnaper Manders took her sons, Noah and Aaron, skiing in Vermont last winter. They enjoyed the company of Marilyn Berkman ’73 Sturman and Diane Bato Smith and her family. Sharon Diekneit is far from the UVM campus. Since June 1997, she has been working as secondary marketing administrator at Town and Country Credit Corporation in Irvine, Calif., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriquest Capital Corp. She enjoys playing in local tennis tournaments and "would love to hear from any alumni living in or visiting the southern California area." OK, UVMers out that way, give Sharon a call; maybe you can find time for a round of tennis. Debra Ludwig Finn had a great time with fellow UVM grad, Wendy Levin Grant, in Boston, while attending the ASHA Conference. Debra noted that UVM is her son Ben’s first choice for a college education. Who can argue with that, Debra? Hope to see you and Ben and Wendy at the 25th reunion. Frank Luisi is the special projects coordinator for the Nassau County High School Football Coaches Association. His son attends Harvard and was a member of their 1997 Ivy League Championship Team. Way to go, Frank. Jeffrey Kaufman, M.D., is trying his entrepreneurial hand, launching a new business with Big Planet, offering services in internet commerce, digital wired communications, and energy. Learn more, if you wish, by sending an email to Jeff at bigplanet@aol.com. Deborah Kelly is a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Dicksten, Shapiro, Morin and Oshinksky, where she specializes in employment law. Deborah has appeared frequently on CNN, commenting on high-profile cases, including Paula Jones’ allegations against President Clinton, the Texaco race discrimination case, and the Mitsubishi sex discrimination case. Dr. William Spina is still skiing. In Vermont? You forgot to mention where. As long as it is a mountainside, I guess, who really cares. Have fun. John Kochalka was a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay from 1981-1984. He has found a home there, working as an entomologist in the Inventario Biologica Nacional since 1985. He also married Nancy Lopez in September 1988. Their son, Michael Andrew Kochalka Lopez, was born on July 27, 1995, in Asuncion, Paraguay. Calling all nursing graduates of the BSN program of 1974! Marie Gilman Robins wants to hear from you before our reunion. Marie, what do you have planned? I remember fondly the nursing students in our class. Never a dull moment. William Hall was named finance director for the town of Hartford, Vt. He and his partner, Tim, live with their two dogs on a small farm in Bethel. I bet, Bill, the fall foliage was great this year in Bethel. Robert Rousse is president of the Quechee Chamber of Commerce. The town runs an annual balloon festival in June. Robert, thanks for the invitation to this year’s festival, but I received your note from the Alumni Office in September. Let’s try for next year. Diana Marsh has been in Alaska for twenty-two years. She works as a speech pathologist in the middle schools and loves this particular age group. Her son, Ty, plays hockey and is also one of the top Nordic skiers at the school. Diana wrote that Briti is "our right-brain artist." Husband Tom is learning to snowboard. They own a condominium at Alyeska Ski Resort. Dorothy Adams Vanderhorst should win a "Mother of the Year" award. While her husband, John, has been busy as a pastor and technical writer, Dotty has been educating their eight children. Oldest son, Ariel, has received two scholarships to a local four-year college. Dotty welcomes any UVMers visiting Kansas City. Donna Spafford MacDonald is an assistant professor at UNLV, instructing nursing students. She wrote, "It’s a challenge." Barbara Mortimer Sawyer wrote that after enjoying six months off, she began working as a volunteer coordinator for Hospice Care of Stamford, Conn., "certainly different from television work." She has found it tremendous working with the dedicated staff and brave patients facing terminal illness. She said, "We do find moments to laugh, particularly on trying days. It is truly good to be alive." Cherie Angier wrote these touching sentiments: "I am very proud to have graduated from UVM. I received a great education. Vermont will always be my home as a native-born Vermonter." Finally, fellow classmates, as we approach our 25th class reunion, who can say that this great university did not mean something special to each one of us? Take a moment now to reflect on what your UVM experience meant to you…and remember the bells tolling at Ira Allen Chapel or the sun setting in the Adirondacks beyond Lake Champlain. Until next time, stay healthy, be happy, and have fun.

Class of 75

Karen Bourdon Gorin moved back to Virginia in 1996. She continues to work in the NICU, enjoying her clinical position. She spends many hours sailing and playing golf in the Southern climate, but she misses skiing. Timothy Grannis recently opened The Grannis Gallery in Burlington, Vt. The gallery will represent contemporary American jewelry artists and will showcase Timothy’s sculptural designer collection of hand-forged gold jewelry. Timothy and Susan Hurd, his "life partner" and arts collaborator, "decided to combine their rich and complementary skills to create a dynamic business partnership." Christopher Leopold has become counsel to the firm of Downs Rachlin & Martin PLLC in Burlington, Vt. Joe Choquette is president of the Montpelier, Vt., Rotary Club.

Class of 76

Can any of you name the movie that featured the line, "What we have here is a failure to communicate?" It starred Paul Newman and George Kennedy and may have left you with a decreased appetite for hard-boiled eggs. Please drop me a note and "communicate" your answer along with some news for our class notes. My address is right up there at the top of our class column. All winning entries will be sent a UVM car window decal. I’m pleased to be up and around after another battle with a fragmented disk in my lower back. It cost me five weeks of work and our summer vacation plans, but surgery was avoided this time. I continue to work for St. Lawrence University, and my nephew may be a member of the class of 2003. My free time is spent with my family, and this winter, I’ll be coaching my son Christian’s mini-mite hockey team. He’s already asking me about post-game parties. Deborah Eng Kielsmeier received her master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary last May. For the past twelve years, Deb has lived in Falcon Heights, Minn., with her husband, Jim, and daughters Sarah and Christiana. She is seeking a pastoral assignment in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Class of 77

Beverly Keur was named 1997 Sussex County Coach of the Year. She accrued a 21-3 record in 1997 and started out strong in the 1998 season. She has two athletic sons, Ryan and Randall. Beverly can be reached via email at bkeur@garden.net. Bill Yanson was appointed senior manager of corporate communications/North America by Lufthansa German Airlines. Bill’s new office is in East Meadow, Long Island, and his wife, Anne, and sons Craig and Dillon also moved there from Atlanta last June. Bill would love to hear from his UVM friends via email at babr@ix.netcom.com. Thomas Griffiths, Illinois Wesleyan University’s Beling professor of the natural sciences, was named one of the nation’s best college teachers by Rolling Stone Magazine. Thomas, well-known nationally for his research on bats, also won his university’s top teaching honor in 1990 and 1991. Paul Gustafson is still in solo practice in hematology-oncology in Houston, Tex. He wrote, "The corporate mega- groups haven’t killed me yet." He recently received certification in hospice and palliative medicine. Richard Levenberg and his wife, Debbie Douglass Levenberg recently celebrated their 18th
wedding anniversary. They have two children, Jessica and Zachary, and they have lived in Neshanic Station, N.J., for the past 10 years. Rich is director of human resources for Transnet Corpora-tion. The Levenbergs hope to visit Vemont soon.

Class of 78

Barbara Donahue lives in Greenwich, Conn., and is ecstatically divorced. She and her two sons, Terrence and Connor, are writing a book about their experience called, The Anti-Rules…Now That You’ve Got Him, How Do You Get Rid of Him?, a play, of course, on the recent New York Times best seller. Look for it from Warner Books sometime this fall. Mark "Fred" Kowaleske has joined Prudential Health Care as director of health product compliance. He is responsible for state and federal regulatory oversight of Prudential’s managed care and traditional indemnity medical plans. He recently got together with Staige Davis and his wife, Marne ’83, Pam Rodman Paro ’79, and husband, Jeff, in Summit, N.J., for dinner and drinks. During dinner they made a furtive phone call to Helen Peltzman ’79 in Washington, D.C., but all they got was her answering machine. Better luck next time, Helen. Andrew James was promoted to vice president of MIS at Saucony, Inc. Craig Gibson sent the message: "Gelhaar, give me a call." Patricia Osborne Shafer has been married for the past twelve years and has one son, Tommy. She is a clinical nurse specialist in the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s comprehensive epilepsy center and is active nationally in the Epilepsy Foundation. Patricia would love to hear from UVM nursing alumni.

Class of 79

William Floyd wrote that he and his wife now have three children, Hannah, William Henry, and Herbie. Peter Stevens and his wife, Michelle, are busy with Clayton and Elise, but they keep in contact with fellow UVMers Bob Reese, Butch Autel, John Galle, Scott Wakeman, and Toby Kravitz. I hope that everyone who came to Burlington for Homecoming Weekend this fall had a great time. The weather was perfect. I was fortunate to attend the Centennial Celebration of Pi Beta Phi, along with several sisters, including Lilla Willey Barrett ’81, Mary Kay McGuire Conte, and Anne Trask Forcier. We missed all of you who were unable to be here for the weekend celebration.