1971

Steve White "was in trial when I was supposed to be in Hanover for reunion, so never made it. I'm hoping to slow down enough in the next five years to be able to be there for the 30th. My youngest, Robert, just turned 16 and lives at home. My oldest, Kimberly, (who made it to many Tabard parties as a baby) is 27 now and has two children of her own. My middle daughter, Jennie, is 24 and lives in Revere. After seven years as the managing trial attorney for the San Antonio staff counsel office for USAA (the insurance company), I have decided to go back out into the real world to see if I can still practice law without a net. I took over an active docket of medical malpractice cases for a law school classmate of mine and moved my practice in January. I am now active in the ACLU here in Texas and in February will be part of the trial team that will be fighting a decision by a small city to fire its librarian because she wouldn't take some obscene literature off the shelves. Some really shocking stuff, like Catcher in the Rye, for example. Howard Stern has agreed to be a witness on the freedom-of-speech issue and, if we can keep him from being arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior, he should be a pretty entertaining witness."

Russ Mittermeier, who is president of D.C.-based Conservation International (and a recognized authority on primates), was featured in Sports Illustrated in February for his work with marmoset monkeys in Brazil. The article documents a trip up the Amazon, in a boat right out of a Bogart movie, during which the crew managed to keep the boat afloat just long enough for Russ and his team to identify what appears to be a new species. "All the marmoset people are gonna go nuts when they hear about this thing," Mittermeier said, "because it's basically the missing link between cebuella and callinthrix." (And don't feel bad if you don't know those words—neither did my spell-check!).

Pete Webster wrote: "Back in midDecember (Connecticut) Gov. Rowland hosted a two-day meeting of the New England Governors' Association here in Essex at the Griswold Inn, and we had a terrific seven-hour evening of cigars, dining, and entertaining with all the New England governors and about 100 lobbyists and 'mucky-mucks' from around the state. After I had said a few welcoming remarks and sat down, somebody tapped me on the shoulder and said 'Hi, Weebs.' I hadn't bumped into R. Nelson 'Oz' Griebel since either graduation or a reunion many years ago, but he was at this dinner and in great form. He is doing very well, as you no doubt know, as president and CEO of Bank of Boston (Connecticut), and I guess he's one of those mucky-mucks who get invited all the time to this type of evening. Ree and I sat at Rowland's table the entire night, and had a terrific time. One of the few 'bennies' of being the first selectman in the Best Small Town in America!"

Lastly, and very sadly, I must tell you that Doug Urban died March 9 in a snorkling accident in Mexico. Facing the harsh reality of untimely death and enduring the ensuing grief, as too many of us know, can be almost unbearable. Pray that Doug's family has the strength and support to get through this time.

Peace.

Don O'Neill, 20 Den Road, New Hartford, CT 06057;