Class Notes

May/June 2006

by Tony Lavely

At the end of February, members of your Class Council met in New Haven for our annual meeting. As it has been in recent years, the meeting took place at The School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, where Gus Speth continues to serve with distinction as Dean. Gus updated us on the ground-breaking for the new building on his campus, which will bear the founding-gift name of our classmate, Richard Kroon. Our meeting also included interesting presentations from three students who are the recipients of environmental project grants funded by our Class. Nick Price and Frank Balser continue to maintain this important liaison.

The Council meeting agenda was too long to report on everything in this column, but one initiative warrants inclusion. Your Class officers are focusing on an improved use of the Class Web Site and e-mail for more effective and timelier communications. Sam Francis is a major resource for our Class in this effort, and we want to enlist all classmates to register on our Class Web Site. Currently, about two-thirds of classmates listed on the site have e-mail addresses listed, too. Younger classes are routinely using their Web Sites to communicate, and we want to avail ourselves of this form of communication. So if you haven't already listed your e-mail address on our Web Site, please do so today.

Here are some of the messages we received via e-mail for these notes. Doane Perry wrote: "I have been enjoying visiting my son Curt, class of 2007, who is living in the Trumbull 'swing dorm'." Ed Gaffney wrote: "Susy and I just returned from Maui and the first spelunking I've done sine I was an officer of the Yale Speleological Society!" Ed Massey corrected an earlier entry in Class Notes: "Indeed I have finished my first novel, Telluride Promise, but I need an agent to hunt for a publisher before my most fervent wishes are realized. Any leads would be greatly appreciated!" Jon McBride reported that Alex Pertuz died on December 24th and a memorial service was held in Atlanta. Memorial gifts may be made to the American Diabetes Association in Fairfax, VA.

Rodrigo Martinez wrote that he "watched a disappointing Yale-Harvard football game on cable TV in Honduras." Nat Norton "is curious to know why Yale is spending money refurbishing the Bowl without overhauling the coaching staff." Paul Levengood "arranged a dinner meeting for the Yale Club of Madrid with a speaker on climate change who quoted Gus Speth extensively." John Moore wrote: "After 22 years at Drury University, I retired as president last spring." William Lear has "joined Focus Enterprises, an investment banking firm in Washington, DC, as Midwest Region Managing Partner." In connection with my Ruth's Chris wine business, I heard from R. G. Hess, who is a partner with Pepper Bridge Winery in Walla Walla, WA.

If you haven't already responded for the mini-reunion in Chicago (September 28 — October 1), please call Chip Brennan at 847-680-1195. Also, please send us your e-mail address and any suggestions for improving our Class Web Site.