1983

Sitting in the back seat of a taxicab in N.Y.C. in late February, I heard the driver refer to The Gates of Central Park, by Christo and Jean Claude as "those damn gates!" During the two-week installation, New Yorkers opined freely regarding the massive art project—23 miles of "gated" trails and more than 7,500 individual orange frames suspending eight-foot orange panels of fabric, eight feet in the air. He was particularly miffed about the $20 million cost. Normally I let taxi drivers have their point of view. No sense in getting caught up in a debate that might not be concluded by ride's end. Hoping to alter his view, I asked if he had walked through the park and experienced the work. Turns out he had and had felt "unbelievable energy" while walking under the flowing banners. So much so that he found him- self walking on tiptoes "like a glad man!" When I informed him that the artists had paid for the whole thing themselves, he was stunned. "They are bigger than I.I would not part with 200 dollars—but 20 million! They are bigger than I." As I paid my fare he shook my hand, happy in the knowledge that his tax dollars were safe in the city's coffers and not supporting general gladness. Perhaps you too have an opinion on The Gates or other topics. Compose and send—just don't forget to include some news about you.

Connie Craig Metas gladly reports that Julia Wynne Metas was born September 9 and weighed in at 5.5 pounds. Connie says Julia is a happy little bundle and eating like a champion. Didn't take as long to create as The Gates, but she and husband Ted are smitten by their great work.

Gina Balkus' great work has paid off. She was recently elected to The New England Society for Healthcare Communication. Gina is director of government relations for New Hampshire for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. She has served on the board since 1997 and in 2002 received the Evans Houghton Memorial Award for exemplary achievement in healthcare communications. She currently serves as a director of the American Lung Association of New Hampshire and the Covering Kids Coalition.

Laura Stein was recently named senior vice president-general counsel of the Clorox Co. She was elected an officer of the company by Clorox's board of directors and has been appointed a member of the company's management executive committee. She returns to Clorox after having spent four years serving as senior vice president-general counsel at H.J. Heinz Co.

Back to artistic endeavors, Lisa Tromovitch wrote this fall that she recently directed Macbeth in Montpelier, Vermont, and had a chance to stop by the campus. "The show in Vermont went well: good reviews, lots of sold-out houses. I'm back in the Tri-Valley, which is east of the East Bay outside San Francisco, gathering board members for my own company, Valley Shakespeare Festival. We produced Cymbeline in August. Now I have to grow the company. I'm also involved with the Dartmouth Club of Greater San Francisco and the Dartmouth Women's Group. I'm having a lot of fun helping with events. The DCGSF rallied around Cymbeline, and we had 50 people, mostly alums and their guests, attend a private performance. Rick Herrick is doing a great job of getting us together regularly. I hope to see Julia Mueller play Alma in Tennessee Williams' Summer andSmoke at Center Rep in Walnut Creek, California."

I welcome your e-mails.

108 East 4th St., #17, New York, NY10003-0723; sterlnyc@verizon.net; 455 Magellan Ave., SanFrancisco, CA 94116; lynnhollen @sbcglobal.net