1997

I escaped the Blizzard of 2006 by taking a well-timed trip to Houston, where I met up with David Sadoff. He moved there five years ago to do strategy work at a small energy firm. Three acquisitions and two years later, he helped open the Houston office of Boston Consulting Group. Davids parents also now live there and his grandfather is in San Antonio. David said he enjoys being near family and can't complain about 70-degree weather in January.

David has become quite an international traveler. Some highlights of his business trips include a visit to Bangkok in January 2005; Rome in April 2005, where he saw Pope John Paul II wave his last farewell during Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican; and a January 2006 trip to Dubai, where he made time for the requisite camel ride in the desert. He also took a two-week trip to Patagonia over Christmas and said the scenery was incredible.

Another Texan, Maria Simentai, sent an inspiring update. She co-runs Crime Victim Services for Women in rural Kendall County, 30 minutes outside of San Antonio. The program is funded by the state through a Violence Against Women Act grant.

Maria wrote: "I assist women who have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. I help counsel them to get them through the trauma, assist them through the court process, assist the prosecutor in getting justice for the victim and help stabilize the victims' lives by mentoring them or assisting them with government or educational programs. It is very satisfying work as I get to work with many people who may not necessarily be quick to partake in the judicial process, including low socio-economic, rural, minority and non-English-speaking communities."

Maria recently participated in a conference for the Dartmouth Association of Latino Alumni in San Antonio. Victoria Martinez also attended. Maria said Vicky works for a big insurance company in San Antonio and is busily planning her September 22 wedding to Ted Garcia, whom she met through mutual friends.

Maria also had the following news:

"Carla Rogers is doing her residency at Mt. Sinai in New York. She is a recent newlywed and I had the pleasure of standing in her wedding along with Christine Dankwa. It was a beautiful ceremony. Nehomah Thundercloud was also in attendance. It was great catching up with everyone. Speaking of Nehomah, she e-mailed me to say she just got back from Spain.

"Jamelle Berry is living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, for now but will be moving to Las Vegas in June.

"Michelle Lewis just visited this past weekend. She currently resides in Dallas and works as an analyst for a large mortgage company. She recently obtained her M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and will be in Vicky's wedding."

Congratulations to Jeremy Stackawitz and wife Donna on the birth of their daughter, Isabel Noel, who arrived on December 30 at 5 pounds, 15 ounces and 19 inches long. Jeremy wrote: "She's doing great and brought my Steelers luck: They went 5-0 after her birth and won the Super Bowl! Other than that, I work as a director of business development at Johnson & Johnson. And I am still pursuing my wacky/crazy habit of auto racing. I'm still, as they say, 'making a small fortune at it—by start- ing with a large fortune!'"

Nicole Scaramelli has joined the legal department of Boston's Fidelity Investments as senior legal counsel. She worked at law firms in both New York and Boston before going inhouse.

Kristin Canavan also has changed jobs, and coasts, making the move from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., to work in LexisNexis's strategy group.

250 W.50th St., Apt 12R, New York,NY 10019, jcasell@aol.com