1977

Temperatures and oil prices headed in opposite directions last December. Fortunately, news from and about classmates paralleled the oil price trend: UP. (There's a "good news/bad news" joke in there somewhere.)

Ken Glickman's "How DEAFnitely True . . . Deaf Culture as Seen from the Eyes of a Deaf Humorist" is a lecture he delivers throughout the Middle Atlantic region (our source is the Reading, Pa., Eagle). Ken operates out of Silver Spring, Md., as a professional magician, and writer of two recent books: Deafnitions for Sign lets and More Deafnitions! Desktop publishing occupies the remainder of this former IBM programmer's "free" time.

First Chicago Investment Advisors recently changed to Brinson Partners, Inc. Allison Grant Williams is among the partners of the new global investment management firm. (No other news accompanied the release; Allison, we'd love to hear from you!)

Classmates with future political ambitions, take note of the Fulton County (Ga.) Daily Report news of Kevin Ross. Kevin managed the Atlanta mayoral campaign of incumbent Maynard Jackson last fell. Several firms beckoned following the election, and he accepted a partnership offer from the firm of Hurt, Richardson at al. Among the reasons for his choice: flexibility to pursue other areas of the law, especially zoning; and the ability to take time away from work to spend with his family. Kevin received his law degree from Emory University in 1980. The Jackson effort was the fifth in Kevin's unbroken string of successfully managed campaigns. For now, though, he says, "I'd like to give politics a little bit of a rest."

Washington, D.C., drew us south during the early part of December, where Al attended a conference, and Nancy Bird and Tim Eckels kindly helped us tightwads control our travel budget. Kaethe 5 and Scott 2 roared around the home with their children Sarah 5 and Beth 3. Kindergarten, computer games, the Metro, and the "Pencil" (Washington Monument) were the raging topics of kids' conversation. The parents focused on things like health care benefits (never enough) and future prospects (many employers are now singing National Health Care's praises), and college tuition (who could possibly save enough?!) Nancy still sings up a storm. Tim works for ICF-Lewin in D.C., designing health care delivery systems for government and industry. ICF is also an environmental engineering firm, managing a variety of Superfund projects. Both Nancy and Tim are active in their church, and work to help disadvantaged families in the Capital area find adequate housing and furnishings.

We learned John and Cindy Douglass are still in Richmond, Va. John recendy became a partner in his law firm; Cindy is taking classes to renew her teaching certificate (she's a reading specialist), and has spent most of her time in recent years with their children. We all seem to be learning the new juggling skills associated with taxiing our offspring to their extracurricular activities.

Anne Goode Stalker challenged us with a long note; the challenge is in paring it down to column-size, while keeping the gist of it. Anne, husband Peter, and daughters Laura 4 and Emily 20 months, moved recently to Darien, Conn. Emily "seemingly survives on no sleep," while Laura splits time between "ballet ... tea parties ... reading, and especially BARBIE. (Now we understand why Mattel is so profitable!)" Peter was recently promoted to VP of E.M. Warburg, Pincus. Job-related travel carried the family around the country and the world. During a "month-long odyssey in August to Tanzania and Kenya ... the African wildlife left us speechless, the scenery was exotic, our guides a real treat, and the poverty quite sobering." They're looking for more than financial ways to address the problem. Ideas welcome; we'll be happy to pass them along.

P.O. Box 861, Norwich, VT 05055