1986

The year 2008 closes with relative peace, relatively high freedom and, despite the bad markets, relatively high prosperity. We did get some new definitions for financial terms: value investing—the art of buying low and selling lower; institutional investor—2008 investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse; P/E ratio—the percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing; broker—what my broker has made me. As a class, we seem happy, adventurous, and healthy. Dennis McCooe is a venturesome telemark skier. He's based in New Jersey but heads west regularly to ski gnarly terrain in Wyoming and Montana. Seth Hendon ran the New York Marathon 2008 in three hours, 35 minutes.

Andrew Getraer reports that he has directed the Hillel House at Rutgers for the past eight years. He writes: "I witnessed something I once doubted possible. Alex Rossides got married! Let me take some credit here; I introduced Alex to his future bride, the former Maria Dottori. The wedding weekend was on beautiful Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, a short ferry ride from Hilton Head. Celebrating with Alex were J.J. Jamieson, Chris Brown, Kirk LeCompte, Lenny Fontes, Kier Cooper, Dan Studnicky '85, Jean Robertson Getraer '89 and Daphne Eviatar '88.

Kendall Savage is engaged to Rick Wilson, an engineer and retired Marine. He will move to Dallas to join Kendall and her two daughters. Kendall teaches Spanish and English as a substitute teacher at the Hockaday School and also helps with a tutoring program in the Dallas Independent School District. She writes: "I gave up my permanent position teaching in order to travel more and to spend more time with my kiddos. I spent New Year's (2007-08) in St. Thomas and later traveled to New York, the Baltic Sea, Williamsburg and D.C. as a sixth-grade school trip chaperone (so fun!), Mexico and Switzerland, where I got engaged and visited my daughter. Lauren, 15, spent the first semester of this year in Zermatt as part of a program called Swiss Semester. It is run by Kris Robbins '85. Jessica, 12, is a sixth- grader at Hockaday. Jessica enjoys basketball, soccer, math and science. My life is filled with many blessings."

Todd Beane and Sam Lardner are still in Spain, Todd directing a sports institute and Sam singing. Both play soccer for the Veterans of Sitges, a group of "aging and aching old timers" who use Saturday soccer for an excuse to gather with friends for paella on the Mediterranean. "We welcomed Allison Barlow last summer as she and her family frolicked in the Spanish sun. Anyone old enough to remember the days of beer pong, chariot races, bonfires, broom hockey, and an icy Pegasus is welcome to join our families here. We wish you all a happy, healthy and adventurous 2009!"

Chip Fleischer is in Hanover with wife Amy and boys Daniel (9) and Hayden (7). Amy is a psychotherapist in private practice just across the river in Norwich, Vermont, behind Dan & Whits. (Mmm, beer and therapy). Along with three partners, Chip founded Steerforth Press. He humbly writes: "Though explosive growth continues to elude us, I still cling to my idiotic belief that books and reading will establish themselves as the wave of the future." The year 2008 might have been the year Steerforth caught its first big break. Steerforths true crime book I HeardYou Paint Houses: Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa got the attention of Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro; they announced that they will be teaming up to make one and maybe two movies based on Houses.

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