1970

I must delve right in with the hard news this month, dispensing with the normal [pleasantries. The Alumni Magazine staff has suggested that we class secretaries save space by forsaking openings with local weather reports which will be three months old by the time you read them. This, dear classmates, is referred to as "clearing one's throat." Updates on Modesto are suspected to fall into this category as well.

Having been suppressed editorially, it seems appropriate to open by passing along a bit of grief to one of you who is involved in journalism. Don Nunes has completed a 15-year internship with the Washington Post, and moved on to Northampton, Mass., where he will be director of advertising and marketing at the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Don began his career as a reporter for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot before joining the Post in 1973. There he worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist, eventually shifting to the business side of the newsroom as marketing editor. In 1983 he became special projects manager and was made marketing manager in 1985. Good luck, Don, and don't forget that my column on Modesto is now available on a syndicated basis.

Still another of our achieving elassnaates falls into one of those categories generally considered to be deserving of special grief: 'attorneys. Rob Horner is to be congratulated for his appointment as head of the international law department with the firm of Goldstein & Manello based in Boston. Rob took law at the New York University School of Law and began his career representing airlines in aviation accident litigation. He became international in 1981 when he founded and managed the Paris office of his previous employer. Here he was engaged as counsel related to major construction projects in the Far East. This led to numerous involvements in the People's Republic of China, where he has traveled widely! You can see Rob do his thing in U.S. Federal Courts, New York, Massachusetts, and in France, since he's been admitted to practice in all of these jurisdictions.

As long as you're visiting France, you might want to hydrofoil across the Channel and check up on Paul Gambaccini. Paul is still riding the crest as Britain's leading rock music and pop culture commentator. Most recently he is quoted in the sales catalog for the Sotheby's auction of the Elton John Collection of art and artifacts. Says Paul of his friend: "I think there's always been that element of fan about Elton's collecting ... let's have a good time. I don't think anyone can grudge him what has come his way or the fun he's had buying these things. He works, he does earn it. This is not inherited money ..." Those of you who missed the opportunity to bid on all this classic memorabilia of our salad days should give Paul a jingle. He can tell you how many thousands of pounds sterling were paid for the boots Elton wore playing the part of the Pinball Wizard in Ken Russell's film of our time, "Tommy." Truly the essential, de rigueur objet d'art for all of the aging preppies/yuppies in our midst.

P.O. Box 3934, Modesto, CA 95352-3934